New research has shown that the spike in the use of drugs forADHD during the pandemic likely resulted in drug shortages that continue to frustrate patients and doctors today.
The results of research were published in the magazine JAMA Psychiatry.
Drugs for ADHD: this is what causes the shortage in finding them
New prescriptions for stimulants that treat ADHD increased for young adults and women in particular after the pandemic first hit in March 2020, a study finds.
Meanwhile, prescriptions for non-stimulant ADHD treatments for adults of all ages have also soared, researchers led by Grace Chai have found. She works in the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Why the surge? The mental and emotional strain of the pandemic, combined with increased use of telemedicine that has made it easier for patients to get help, have contributed greatly, experts said.
Las Vegas psychiatrist Dr. Ann Childress told The Associated Press that more adults began turning to her for help after COVID-19 began spreading across the country and lockdowns were put in place .
Working from home has made it clear to some people how easily they become distracted: Childress says she has diagnosed the disease in many parents, especially moms, who have seen it in their children and recognized it in themselves.
Beyond that, social media has made people more aware of ADHD in adults: “People are more open to talking about mental health issues now,” said Childress, who was not involved in the study.
The increased use of ADHD treatments, along with manufacturing issues, triggered an Adderall shortage that began in October 2022. Unfortunately, supply issues for several treatments have not yet eased.
“Every week, there are about 10 things that are in short supply,” Childress said.
Federal regulators limit the production of some stimulant treatments for ADHD because they are controlled substances, even as they try to gauge future demand for the drugs.
But Mike Ganio, who studies drug shortages at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), noted that forecasting demand is complicated at best, and that unexpected spikes in use can result in shortages.
“It's a business. Nobody wants to produce more, or keep more inventory on the shelves than is necessary,” she explained.
Overall, ASHP counted more than 300 drug shortages in the United States last fall. In addition to ADHD medications, a shortage of cancer treatments also persists.
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