Publisher Health

The continuing shortage of ADHD medication is causing those with the condition increasing stress and anxiety, the BBC has been told.

Pharmacists said the problem persists despite a government assurance it would be resolved by the end of last year.

In September, the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) blamed the UK-wide scarcity on “increased global demand and manufacturing issues”.

It said the disruption was “expected to resolve” between October and December.

Lorraine Jukes, who has the condition, said: “Here I am in April 2024, with only four days of medication left.”

The 36-year-old, from Iffley, Oxford, said she was “frantically phoning through lists of pharmacies” and being told there was no stock and no indication of any being available before she runs out.

Medication helps to manage ADHD symptoms, which can include difficulty concentrating and focusing, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

The supply issues are against a backdrop of increased awareness of the condition and a rise in demand for diagnosis and treatment. Three different medicines have been affected.

Oliver Picard, vice chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “We were told it would be resolved in December.

“Some of the medication is starting to come back. In March, we had the supply of a certain brand of ADHD medication, we are now seeing shortages of other ADHD medication and we don’t have a date for resupply.

“Sometimes we can get some but will be limited to one packet per month pharmacy and that’s not helpful either. It’s hugely frustrating.”

What is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder? (ADHD)

Source: NHS England

Ms Jukes, who was diagnosed two years ago, said she first noticed problems getting hold of her medication in October. She said she spent six weeks without any and at other times had been forced to ration it.

“That’s what I have really struggled with,” she said. “You take it, don’t take it, take it, don’t take it. It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions, anxiety through the roof.”

Ms Jukes said she was now “immensely concerned”, adding: “It doesn’t feel like its being taken seriously enough.”

Coby, 11, from Abingdon in Oxfordshire, is also one of more than 150,000 people who live with the condition and are reliant on medication.

His mother Kirsty said: “It is becoming increasingly more concerning as the months go on and we are still no further forward with solutions to the shortage of medications.

“The fact is, this was supposed to be a short-term shortage and under control by Christmas yet, here we are, nearly five months later and still no end to the stress of trying and failing to get the medication that Coby has been prescribed.”

She said Coby was a “different boy” when he was not on his medication and that he worried about how he came across.

“It’s absolutely awful, as a parent, knowing there is something that is helping your child and you can’t provide that and it’s out of your hands and you can’t do anything about it,” Kirsty added.

The DHSC said it was working with manufacturers to help resolve remaining issues as soon as possible and some issues had been resolved as a result.

“We know that shortages can be distressing for patients and families and we advise any patient who is worried about their condition to speak to their clinician,” a spokesperson said.

Takeda is one of the leading manufacturers of ADHD medicines and said the majority of its medicines were now available.

It said there may be some “short-term, intermittent disruption” beyond April “as the situation continues to stabilise”.

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