CNN

ADHD Rx meds filled less often as drug shortage continues across nation

April 8, 2024

About 1 in every 10 persons in the U.S. who uses Adderall or similar drugs to treat ADHD has been affected by an ongoing shortage, a new exclusive CNN analysis suggests.

FDA announced that Adderall was in shortage in mid-October 2022, and the proportion of ADHD patients who filled their prescriptions for Adderall and related medications dropped dramatically in the following months.

According to the FDA database last updated February 6, 2024, Teva Pharmaceuticals is "manufacturing and distributing" its Adderall medication "consistent with historic levels," and it continues "to see unprecedented demand." Despite that demand, the drugmaker said its branded Adderall products are all currently available without limits.

However, generic ADHD medications are still in short supply.

CNN's analysis focused on 336,000 individuals who had an ADHD diagnosis and filled a prescription for amphetamine/dextroamphetamine between January 2016 and December 2023.

Key takeaways:

• Prescription fill rate for amphetamine/dextroamphetamine medications fell from nearly 49% in October 2022 to a low of less than 41% in February 2023, according to data from Truveta.
• Overall, the average monthly prescription fill rate was 11% lower in the first half of 2023 than it was in the first half of 2022, with no indications for improving through the end of 2023.
• Adults were consistently more likely to fill their Adderall prescriptions than children, but adults saw more substantial decreases in fill rates after the shortage was announced.
• For children, fill rates started to increase in the second half of 2023 – a consistent pattern around the time to return to school – but did not rebound to levels seen in early 2022.

Sources:

McPhillips, Deidre. (2024, April 2). CNN. CNN Exclusive: Adderall prescriptions have been filled less often amid ongoing shortage in the US. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/health/adderall-shortage-prescription-fills-drop-truveta/index.html

(Accessed 2024, April 5). FDA. Drug Shortages. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Revised 02/06/24). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/