What’s Behind the Adderall Shortage?

The Journal.

The Wall Street Journal

Business News, Daily News, News

4.2 • 5.8K Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2023

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For months, people with ADHD have been struggling to fill their prescriptions. Federal regulators say the shortage is fueled in part by increasing demand driven by telehealth startups and their aggressive marketing. WSJ’s Rolfe Winkler, who has been investigating two of those companies, explains what an impending rule change could mean for the shortage. Further Reading: - Adderall, OxyContin Prescriptions to Require In-Person Doctor Visit Under Biden Plan - Startups Make It Easier to Get ADHD Drugs. That Made Some Workers Anxious. Further Listening: - Uncontrolled Substances Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Do you remember the first time you took it?
0:08.4	I do.
0:09.4	I do, actually.
0:13.7	I've really honed in, I think, on cleaning my closet on that day.
0:17.2	Had cleaning your closet been weighing on you for some time?
0:20.3	Oh, you can bet.
0:22.5	Yeah.
0:25.0	Matt Lindbergh is 27 years old.
0:27.7	He lives with his wife and their dog just outside Madison, Wisconsin.
0:32.0	And Matt takes Adderall to treat his ADHD.
0:36.0	Adderall allows me to sort of function.
0:41.7	It allows me to really focus in, stay organized, and follow each task through, whereas I usually
0:48.4	struggle with that when I'm not on medication.
0:53.1	And last week, for a few days, Matt wasn't able to get his medication.
0:58.9	He couldn't find a pharmacy that had his Adderall.
1:02.6	And Matt is not alone.
1:04.7	The Adderall shortage is something we first reported last fall.
1:07.8	Right now it's so bad it is reaching a fever pitch.
1:10.1	Before, not being on my Adderall.
1:11.9	I can't focus, I can't pay attention, I can't stop moving, fidgeting.
1:15.6	I end up going four or five days every month unmedicated because I can't pick up, I can't
1:20.6	find it anywhere.
	...

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