ADHD Medication Supply Disruption

There are currently supply disruptions of ADHD medication due to a combination of manufacturing issues and increased global demand. This is affecting methylphenidate (brand names Equasym XL/ Xaggitin XL/ Concerta XL/ Xenidate XL), lisdexamphetamine (brand name Elvanse), guanfacine (brand name Intuniv) and atomoxetine.

If you still have some medication left please consider taking short breaks in your treatment and reserve it for days when you need it more (e.g taking on working or school days only). It is possible to have an alternative prescription for a different brand name of the drug you are taking if it is available but we cannot simply “prescribe alternatives” unless there is known supply of a particular brand. Please speak to your pharmacist to see if they have any alternatives available and if so ask them if they are able to reserve it for you then request a prescription from us. In the last 2 weeks we have been advised that none of the alternatives are available but that supplies should recover between October and December 2023 so you are likely to have to wait until your medication becomes available again.

Please note that this is having a knock-on effect on new referrals for ADHD to secondary care as they cannot be initiated on treatment whilst there are medication shortages.