Lack of Adderall affecting neighborhood pharmacy

Little Rock, Arkansas – For those who have been given an ADHD diagnosis, the medication Adderall is typically prescribed.

Children have been given Adderall for years to aid improve their focus and concentration in the classroom.

“Adderall is a stimulant medication that is used mainly for ADHD and Attention Deficit Disorder in children and adults,” said Anne Pace, a pharmacist at Kavanaugh Pharmacy in Little Rock.

Children with ADD and ADHD are served by Jackie Davis, a Licensed Associate Counselor with Families Inc.

According to Davis, common symptoms of the illness include children looking off into space or failing to pay attention.

However, according to Davis, adults can also be diagnosed with ADHD.

“The National Alliance of Mental Health Illness reports that about four and a half percent of adults actually have ADHD,” said Davis.

According to Pace, the medication is crucial for individuals who have been prescribed it.

“It helps them to be successful in their daily activities whether that is school, whether that is after school activities, or work, too, in jobs because a lot of adults take it now too,” said Pace.

The medicine is hard for pharmacies to procure and keep.

According to Pace, there have been shortages for several months.

“We are trying our very best to accommodate and provide that medication for all of our patients as well as others, helping other people out whose pharmacies do not have it, but there are some limitations to that,” said Pace.

The FDA cited a production snag as the cause of the shortage, but Pace suggested there may be additional factors at play.

“We probably did not have a lot of need or as big of a demand during Covid because kids were not going to school as much or doing a lot more homeschooling,” said Pace.

She continued on to say, “Now that we are back into school, people are getting back to what they need to do.”

Some people might not be utilizing the medicine for concentration, according to Pace.

“College kids and adults will abuse the medication whether it is for weight loss because it kind of acts as an appetite suppressant and kind of revs you up a little bit,” said Pace.

The FDA declared that they will keep an eye on the shortfall.