Adderall Shortage Has Many Worried

HOUSTON - What if the prescription you needed to have filled wasn't available at your corner pharmacy? How far would you go and how much would you pay to get it?

Nearly 80 miles and about $500 later one Houston man now has his medicine.

"We paid $417," Linda Thomas said.

Thomas says her husband has been taking the prescription medication Adderall for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD, for six years.

"It affects him largely at work. He's not able to focus," she said.

When the couple went to fill his prescription on Aug. 27, this is what happened:

"First we tried to fill it right around here (the couple's Houston home). Everywhere we went they told us they were out, there was a shortage and it was on long term back order. I called pharmacists in Conroe, Pasadena, Baytown, Livingston, Lufkin before we finally found it in Huntsville," Thomas said.

She says they drove the nearly 80 miles and the pharmacy did not have the generic equivalent. They paid $417 for the name brand.

Not to mention the gas they spent.

"It was about $500. We had to dip into our savings in order to pay for it," she said.

Here's the problem: When you have a controlled substance, it is just that.

The government controls how much is released in an attempt to keep as much of it off the street as possible to avoid drug abuse. That's the case with Adderall and Ritalin.

That is creating quite a problem for some who need the drugs for ADHD.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there is a shortage of Adderall, it's generic equivalent Amphetamine Salts and Methylphenidate which is the generic for Ritalin.

If your child needs this medication Texas Children's Hospital Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine Doctor David Curtis says to seek psychological services.

Behavioral modification methods can also help tremendously.

"Defining behavioral goals for the child to adhere to, defining that behavioral goal very clearly and then setting up some incentives for them to receive rewards for their performance. Parents often get in trouble because they pick too many things to try and work on and kids with these kinds of difficulties really can benefit from a single focus that we can help them with and reward that. When those things improve we often see behavior momentum so other things improve as well," Curtis said.

He says if you're an adult having trouble finding your ADHD medicine, add more structure to your day, plan out your week and stick to the plan.

Shire, the manufacturer of Adderall XR, says the active ingredient in the medication is the stimulant amphetamine which is regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The DEA only releases a certain amount at a time. Shire predicts the shortage is because more people are being diagnosed with ADHD which means more prescriptions to fill.

You can contact Shire to find a pharmacy in your area with Adderall XR by calling 800-828-2088 or log on to www.shire.com