ADHD medication shortage
You may have heard, either from your clinician, pharmacist or in the media, that there is a national supply shortage of the medication prescribed to help manage ADHD symptoms. The shortage has been caused by a combination of manufacturing issues and an increased global demand.
Our ADHD services and pharmacy department are working closely with local GPs and community pharmacies to address the shortage and find supplies of ADHD medicines. We know how important your medication is to you so please be patient with our staff who are working hard to support you until the problem has been resolved.
Below we have set out answers to some of the questions you may have about the situation. If you have any worries or concerns, please contact your GP surgery or specialist team.
The medication that we are receiving shortages of include:
Methylphenidate hydrochloride modified release tablets
Concerta XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
Concerta XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
Delmosart 18mg prolonged-release tablets
Delmosart 27mg prolonged-release tablets
Matoride XL 36mg Prolonged-release Tablets
Xaggitin XL 27mg prolonged-release tablets
Xaggitin XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
Xaggitin XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
Xenidate XL 18mg prolonged-release tablets
Xenidate XL 27mg prolonged-release tablet
Xenidate XL 36mg prolonged-release tablets
Xenidate XL 54mg prolonged-release tablets
Atomoxetine products
Atomoxetine (Strattera) 4mg/1ml oral solution
(Last update 1 November 2024)
What is the current situation?
At the moment, there are problems with the availability and supply of a range of medication used to treat ADHD. There are supplies of medication coming in, but this is changing every day.
Why is there a shortage?
There is no single reason why there is a shortage. There has been an increase in demand for medication to manage ADHD. There has also been a change in the companies who produce and supply the medication. Some have stopped making certain strengths and others have stopped making certain products. All of this combined has led to difficulties in meeting the supply needs of patients.
How long will the shortage last?
Unfortunately, the situation continues to change.Although some products have come back into stock recently, supply chains remain fragile. The same products may only be available on a temporary basis and may go out of stock at short notice. It is important to receive health advice before stopping any ADHD medication, or reducing the amount that you take.
What should I do?
For now, please continue with the medication you/or your child has been prescribed. Please order repeat medication from your GP with at least 7-14 days’ supply of medication left.
If you cannot get your medication from your usual pharmacy, the first step is to try other pharmacies, as another one may have it in stock. You can use the find a pharmacy page on the NHS website, https://www.nhs.uk/ . Some pharmacies also have an online stock checker e.g. Boots pharmacy | Online Prescription stock checker .
What should I do if I am still unable to get my prescription?
Please contact your GP at the earliest opportunity if your medication is a regular repeat from your GP surgery.
Please contact your specialist service* if you are open to secondary care for prescribing and/or you/your child has only recently started ADHD medication.
*This includes our adult ADHD service, child development centre, children’s services and children and adolescent mental health teams. If you are with a specialist team, their contact details will be on your appointment letter.
Where your medication or a particular strength is not available, your GP/member of the specialist team will talk to you about other medication strengths or options available. Please do not try to substitute other medications yourself as this may be dangerous.
What should I do if my child has their medication at school?
If your child has their medication administered at school, it is important to let the school’s special educational needs (SEN) team know about the shortages. We are also writing to local schools to make them aware of the issue. Schools generally like to keep an ‘original pack’ labelled for the child at school. Due to the current shortages, it may not be possible to provide a separate supply for home and school. The advice would be to share the medication between home and school and agree with the school who the medication should be handed to at the start of the school day and who will hand it back to the parent at the end of the school day.
In situations where ADHD medication is being shared between home and school, please request the next prescription when you have 14 days of medication left. This should allow enough time for the prescription to come from your GP/specialist team and for the pharmacy to source the medication.
If you or the SEN team would like advice and support, please contact your child’s CAMHS team. If you are open to social care, please let your social worker/family support worker know of the shortages.
For further information or queries, you can contact the Trust’s medicines information service on 020 3513 6829.