WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration declared a nationwide shortage of Adderall, a drug used to treat ADHD, on Wednesday.
The FDA cited that Teva, one of the major manufacturers of the drug, has been experiencing supply delays. Other generic versions of the immediate release of amphetamine mixed salts were also experiencing problems with meeting U.S. market demand.
The medication, commonly referred to by its brand name Adderall or Adderall IR, is an FDA-approved treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy.
Patients who are prescribed to Adderall should talk with their health providers on finding an alternative treatment until supply is restored, the FDA said.
The agency said extended-release versions of amphetamine mixed salts are possible alternatives for those who need the short-supplied medication.
Last week, a spokesperson for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. told Bloomberg that the supply challenges would likely last for the next two to three months.
"Teva has active supply of both branded Adderall and its generic version and continues to produce and refill the channel regularly at levels above historical demand," the company told TEGNA in an emailed statement. "It is possible that some people may encounter a backorder (intermittently) based on timing and demand, but these are only temporary."
Teva said it expects "inventory recovery in the coming months."
Aside from Teva, U.S. regulators listed other companies having supply shortages, which includes Epic Pharma LLC, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals L.P. and SpecGX LLC.
The number of Adderall and generic-equivalent prescriptions have been on the rise in recent years with numbers rising 16% from 2019, the New York Times reported.
A survey earlier this year from the National Community Pharmacists Association revealed that 64% of community pharmacists were having "difficulty obtaining Adderall."
The survey, which was based on more than 350 responses from pharmacy owners and managers, also showed that roughly 80% of the pharmacists were experiencing supply shortages. Troubles also began earlier this summer with labor shortages at the company, according to the American Journal of Managed Care.
Teva said it is " working closely with our manufacturing facility and the DEA to see what additional volume we may be able to support in the future."
