The department of Health and Social Care has alerted us that there is a national supply shortage of the medication prescribed to help manage ADHD symptoms.
Please find more information below:
The Department of Health and Social Care has alerted us that there is a national supply disruption of the medication prescribed to help manage ADHD symptoms.
There are several reasons contributing to the supply disruption, including:
- An increase in demand for medication to manage ADHD.
- A change in the companies who produce and supply the medication.
This has led to difficulties in meeting the supply needs of patients.
It is expected that supply issues will resolve at various dates between October and
December 2023.
The medicines affected are:
Methylphenidate
- Equasym XL® 10, 20 and 30 mg capsules
- Concerta XL® 54 mg tablet
- Xaggitin XL® 18 and 36 mg tablets Xenidate XL® 27 mg tablets
Lisdexamfetamine
- Elvanse® 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mg capsules
- Elvanse® Adult 30, 50, and 70 mg capsules
Atomoxetine
- All strengths
Guanfacine
- Intuniv® 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg tablets
Please note there are some supplies of these medications but their availability is changing daily (both coming into stock and going out of stock).
We are working hard to manage this supply disruption, but there are some steps that
you can take to help us minimise the effect on you or your child:
- Please only order your prescription when you have 7 – 10 days of your medicine
left. It is important not to stockpile medicines, and your clinician will not be able to
issue your prescription any earlier. - If your usual pharmacy is not able to supply your medication you can ask them to check if any pharmacies nearby have stock available. You may also choose to try another pharmacy. Pharmacy contact details can be found via https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy.
- Be prepared that your medicine may change but this will be clearly communicated
to you. - Please do not share your medication with anyone else.
If your medication is a regular repeat from your GP, please contact your GP practice.
If you are receiving prescriptions from a specialist service, please contact the service.
Specialist team refers to:
- Adult ADHD service;
- Child development centre;
- Children services or child and adolescent mental health team, e.g. The Lighthouse Centre.
If you or your child are with a specialist team, their contact details will be on your appointment letter.
Your GP or member of your specialist team will talk to you about your options if you need to change medication or medication strength.
Specialist services, GPs and community pharmacies are working together to ensure the disruption to the supply of ADHD medication affects patients as little as possible.
Your community pharmacist can help you if you or your child receive medicine which looks different compared to usual, they will be able to provide information on what type of medicine it is and how it works.
Please be assured that we recognise the role these medications play in you or your child’s well-being, and we are actively monitoring the situation and working locally to provide updates. Please liaise with community pharmacies for stock availability.