Nearly 85% of patients on ADHD medicine have been affected by shortages, new survey finds
23rd February 2024 10:54 - Pharmaceutical
Nearly 85% of patients on ADHD medicine have been affected by shortages: According to a new survey by the charity ADHD UK, around 85% of patients on ADHD medication have been affected by shortages, with only 8% of patients having received an uninterrupted supply of medicine since recent shortages began.
The survey carried out by the charity ADHD UK, spoke to 1,054 UK patients about how they have been dealing with the effects of recent shortages. The findings revealed that 27% of respondents said they had received no supplies at all, 33% percent had experienced “long gaps” in supply and 25% had experienced “short gaps” in supply. This indicates the significant impact the shortages are having on access to medicine.
Further findings highlighted that 7 in 10 patients said they had rationed their own medicine because of the shortages, to make sure they don’t run out too quickly.
In September 2023 there was a general industry alert issued, which warned that there were shortages of methylphenidate lisdexamfetamine. Professionals said it would be resolved between October and December 2023. However, recent information from Takeda has revealed that there may be “intermittent disruption” until April 2024 for ADHD products.
A spokesperson from the pharmaceutical company, Takeda, said: “We have seen a significant increase in demand for ADHD medications over the past two years, which has had an ongoing impact on supply across the industry in the UK. This increase in demand, in conjunction with intermittent production challenges at one of our contract manufacturing partners, have led to disruption in our supply. The impact the supply disruptions are having on patients and healthcare professionals is our biggest concern and we are doing our utmost to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
Sign up to our newsletter to receive free insights from your sector...
Support Us...
We hope that you have found this article useful. This section is freely available for all to use. Please help support it by liking us or following us on our social media platforms: