A growing U.S. shortage of Adderall, a prescription drug taken to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has spread to two more makers of the drug.
Lannett Co. and Par Pharmaceuticals are the most recent companies experiencing with limited supplies of generic extended-release Adderall, according to the University of Utah Pharmacy Services website, which tracks drug shortages nationwide
More than six in 10 small pharmacies reported having difficulty in August obtaining the medication, a survey from the National Community Pharmacists Association found.
Lannett spokesperson Robert Jaffe confirmed to USA TODAY Wednesday the company is seeing spikes in demand for its 15-milligram extended-release pills. Quotas on how much Adderall can be made also affects supply, Jaffe said.
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Adderall has often been in short supply over recent years. The most recent issue started with a labor shortage in August at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the nation’s leading seller of instant-release Adderall, Bloomberg reported.
Demand for the drug is at an all-time high, Symphony Health told the outlet.
Nine companies supply branded and generic Adderall in the nation, Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at the University of Utah’s drug-information service told USA TODAY. Other firms facing supply challenges for the drug include Amneal Pharmaceuticals Inc., Rhodes Pharmaceuticals LP and Novartis AG’s Sandoz unit.
Fox said those three companies did not provide a specific reason for their shortages to the university.
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The Food and Drug Administration previously reported there was a nationwide shortage of the drug in September 2019 that lasted until May 2022 due to demand increase in the drug.
But as of Wednesday, the FDA was not reporting a current reporting a shortage of Adderall.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.