Nearly all community pharmacists say they are experiencing a drug shortage, with 89% reporting they are having trouble purchasing Adderall, a popular drug used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and its generic versions, according to a survey.
The National Community Pharmacists Association found that 98% of the 333 community pharmacy owners and managers surveyed between Oct. 19-31 are currently experiencing drug shortages, as the Food and Drug Administration warns of a national shortage of Adderall and amoxicillin, an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in children.
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Over half of the pharmacies said they were having trouble keeping amoxicillin in stock. The FDA has not specified why the commonly used antibiotic is in short supply, though it coincides with a surge in respiratory illnesses filling children’s hospitals’ emergency rooms and pediatric beds with patients.
Adderall shortages have been plaguing pharmacies since the summer, when Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the largest U.S. supplier of Adderall, announced it was experiencing supply disruptions that could lead into 2023. SpecGx, Epic Pharma, and Rhodes Pharmaceuticals have also reported several doses of brand and generic versions on back order.
The latest survey shows that ADHD medication is more scarce now than it was back in August. Only 64% of the 358 pharmacy owners and managers acknowledged shortages of Adderall on back order between July 25 and Aug. 5, compared to the most recent survey, in which 89% reported difficulties.
National Community Pharmacists Association CEO B. Douglas Hoey said some of the drug shortage issues could be attributed to lingering supply issues that have been present since earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“We’re heavily reliant on foreign countries, some of which can be adversarial, for many of our pharmaceuticals. And the supply chain issues that resulted from the pandemic have not been fully resolved,” said Hoey. “Community pharmacies are the last link in the supply chain and the only one that deals with patients directly. If there’s a disruption anywhere between the manufacturer and the patient, it affects the entire healthcare system, and community pharmacists are the ones helping patients figure out their options.”
