Doctor addresses ADHD medication shortage and solutions for new school year.
The Shortage of Medication for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
The shortage of medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has sparked interest in alternative solutions. Dr. Marc Siegel recently appeared on America Reports to shed light on the causes of the shortage and offer advice to parents on how to help their children manage their symptoms.
This shortage began a year ago and has been exacerbated by a 50% increase in demand over the past decade. Two supply chains, one in Israel and the other in Japan, have been severely impacted by the shortage.
“Both are offloading a lot of production, and they are relying on active pharmaceutical ingredients from China, so that’s the problem. And they are generics and a very narrow profit margin. So, as soon as they find they can’t make the ‘rubber meet the road,’ they back off and don’t produce, and that’s the key issue,” Seigel said. “The FDA is pushing them to catch up. They’re not catching up.”
According to Dr. Siegel, while there may be perceptions that ADHD is “overdiagnosed,” this is not the case for most groups. There are instances where children must be treated to alleviate symptoms such as the inability to focus, increased aggression, and heightened frustration.
“Sixty percent of the time, it’s treatable by medication,” Dr. Siegel explained. “But about 50%, you need some kind of therapy involved, and we have a huge shortage of mental health professionals in the United States, especially coming out of the pandemic.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, according to a national survey of parents, there are currently 6 million children diagnosed with ADHD as of 2019. The largest number of those diagnosed fall between the ages of 12 and 17, totaling 3.3 million.
Interestingly, Alaska, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Illinois have the highest rates of ADHD treatment, with anywhere between 52% and 72% of those diagnosed receiving treatment, according to the CDC.
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