THORNTON, Colo. (KDVR)– Colorado families are still struggling to fill their Adderall prescriptions nearly five months after the FDA announced a shortage of the ADHD medication.

Joey Quinn has empty pill bottles. His Thornton family has been unable to get his Adderall prescription refilled and he ran out of medication on Thursday.

“I’m just unable to be productive,” Joey said.

“It’s been a very difficult week,” added his mother, Elaine.

She said her 35-year-old son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD decades ago and he can’t work without the medication. She’s called numerous pharmacies and can’t find any with supply.

“I’m concerned, I’m upset, I’m angry,” she said. “There’s nothing out there and it kind of just boggles my mind how this can happen.”

Dr. Steve Cobb said more people were diagnosed with ADHD since the start of the pandemic, and that is creating an increase in demand.

“I think we have months to go with this Adderall shortage,” Cobb said.

Adderall is a controlled substance, and Cobb said it is taking a while to increase production.

“It’s regulated by the DEA, even the basic ingredients used to manufacture the drug, so the lead time to increase production is pretty long,” he said.

“We are seeing a shortage of all the drugs that are used to treat ADHD, but I do think it’s useful to talk to your physician about changing,” he said.

This is a difficult time for some families. A Walgreens representative offered a statement:

Our teams continue to work with our supplier and distribution partners in an effort to help meet patient demand. We have seen some intermittent supply issues with the generic form of this drug and additional questions about availability should be directed to the drug’s manufacturers.

Walgreens Representative

CVS also chimed in.

We’re aware of intermittent shortages of amphetamine in the supply chain and our pharmacists will work with patients who are prescribed this medication as needed. 

CVS representative

If you are unable to fill your prescription, Cobb suggests talking to your doctor about strategies or the possibility of changing medications.