Why are ADHD drugs so hard to find?

[Anonymous]

OP. Have you tried the Quillivant again. I had trouble getting Quillichew earlier this year, but the supply problems seem solved now, at least for Walgreens. Walgreens is generally than CVS about keeping things in stock and ordering.

[Anonymous]

My son has been taking different dosages of Vyvanse for 5 years and only once have I been unable to fill his Rx at the pharmacy near me. One time last year, his new dosage was not available for a few days at my regular pharmacy so I drove 5 minutes away to another one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or switch to a more available drug? My DS has been on vyvannse for 6 years and I've never once been told they are out of my medicine --and I get the meds at my local Rite Aid in Bethesda.

My DD is on Vyvanse, and when I went to fill her prescription last week I was told they were expecting a shipment in 2 days. Fortunately, my DD doesn't always take her meds on weekends, so she usually has a buffer of a few days, but for people who need to take their meds every single day without fail, not even vyvanse is a perfect choice.

[Anonymous]

We have had Kaiser Permanente for years and have never had trouble filling prescriptions at the KP pharmacy for Concerta or Ritalin. Do you have an option to change to KP?

[Anonymous]

The CVS at 12th and Penna carries Methylphenadate ER. We've been getting it there for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The CVS at 12th and Penna carries Methylphenadate ER. We've been getting it there for years.

Op here. Good to know about that CVS. That’s certainly accessible to us. That said, the FDA says on its website that there’s a shortage of metadate ER, so it may be a matter of time before you run into a problem.

Also, to clarify—the repeated problem I keep having is that the pharmacies’ suppliers can’t provide the medications, which speaks to ongoing supply problems. I accept that pharmacies may not have medications in stock, but when their suppliers can’t get them it speaks to a nationwide problem of limited supply.

[Anonymous]

OP, I have two kids with ADHD. They take different medications and after some frustrations we've figured out that one pharmacy is good with one kid's prescription, and another is good with the other one. It's not ideal, but I'm willing to go two places to reliably get them filled. Their doctor is also good about calling the prescription in a few days before we are out so if there is a small delay, it's not a problem.

[Anonymous]

^^^ I’m confused by your post, since you can’t phone in ADHD drugs—at least not stimulants, as they’re controlled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I’m confused by your post, since you can’t phone in ADHD drugs—at least not stimulants, as they’re controlled.

Sending the prescription in then. We call her, she contacts pharmacy in some way, and we pick up medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ I’m confused by your post, since you can’t phone in ADHD drugs—at least not stimulants, as they’re controlled.

Some doctors electronically transmit prescriptions of controlled substances to pharmacies. There’s a secure, online process set up for that. But the doctor m be willing to go through some involved process to get authorized to do it that way.