Call to Action! Speak Up to End the ADHD Drug Shortage
Demand an end to the ADHD medication shortage by submitting comment to the FTC and HHS, and by writing letters to your representatives, the DEA, and the FDA. Use these templates to get started.
Add your voice to the chorus of individuals with ADHD calling for an end to the ADHD medication shortage. Use the templates below to act on the following calls to action:
- Submit comment to the FTC and HHS
- Contact Your U.S. Congressional Representatives
- Send a letter to the DEA
- Send a letter to the FDA
Give Your Input on the Drug Shortage
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are seeking public input to understand how lack of competition and contracting practices by two pharmaceutical drug middlemen groups — group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and drug wholesalers — may be contributing to drug shortages.
The agencies are seeking public input on a variety of subjects under this topic, including whether and to what extent lack of competition among these pharmaceutical middlemen groups impacts patients, hospitals, healthcare providers (including small healthcare providers and rural hospitals), pharmacies, generic manufacturers, and other suppliers.
Submit comments by May 30, 2024 at www.regulations.gov. (Direct link to the comment section)
Contact Your U.S. Congressional Representatives
- Find contact information for your U.S. Congressional Representatives here.
- Send the following message to your representative. (Want to send an email? Consider doing it via democracy.io)
Dear Representative,
Millions of American caregivers and patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have endured unprecedented healthcare disruptions and adverse outcomes since the Federal Drug Administration first reported shortage of Adderall, the amphetamine mixed salts used to treat ADHD, in October 2022.
Patient advocates and legislators have called on federal agencies to help combat the nationwide Adderall shortage, yet it continues to impact the health and wellbeing of millions. In fact, the shortfall has extended to methylphenidate (Ritalin), lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse), and more ADHD medications.
Stimulant medication is a first-line treatment for ADHD, a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts all facets of living throughout the lifespan. Research shows that stimulants are effective, safe, and vital to improving the health outcomes of individuals with ADHD.
The drug shortage has created immense hardship for individuals already living with a highly stigmatized condition. Some caregivers and patients must endure hours of phone calls and travel each month to access pharmacies that can fill their prescriptions. Providers have switched patients to less-than-optimal-but-available alternative medications. Desperate patients are endangering their lives by procuring counterfeit drugs on the black market and using illicit substances to self-medicate.
Patients unable to access their prescribed ADHD medications have lost jobs, and their ability to carry out daily tasks or adequately care for their children, many of whom have ADHD as well. The shortage has led to lower academic performance and increased behavioral and emotional problems for children, who may bear the repercussions for a lifetime.
Patients who can access their ADHD medication must now contend with higher drug prices, which are outpacing inflation. In some cases, prices for stimulant medications have doubled and tripled since the shortage began, further derailing treatment for many.
The causes for the shortage are mystifying, especially as the DEA, FDA, and drug manufacturers trade blame. Many caregivers and patients with ADHD feel the FDA’s and DEA’s lack of transparency and unwillingness to take meaningful action to end the shortage reflects a deep-seated belief that ADHD is not a valid diagnosis or a real, debilitating condition.
I urge you to identify steps that relevant agencies and policymakers can take to end this shortage. I support any legislative proposals to this end, including calling a congressional hearing to understand what the FDA and DEA are doing to mitigate the shortage and improve treatment outcomes for patients prescribed ADHD medication.
I appreciate your timely focus and attention to this dire situation. The livelihood of millions of Americans depends on your swift action.
Sincerely,
Contact the DEA
The Honorable Anne Milgram
Administrator
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
8701 Morrissette Drive
Springfield, VA 22152
Dear Administrator Milgram,
Millions of American caregivers and patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have endured unprecedented healthcare disruptions and adverse outcomes since the Federal Drug Administration first reported shortage of Adderall, the amphetamine mixed salts used to treat ADHD, in October 2022.
Patient advocates and legislators have called on federal agencies to help combat the nationwide Adderall shortage, yet it continues to impact the health and wellbeing of millions. In fact, the shortfall has extended to methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, and more ADHD medications.
Stimulant medication is a first-line treatment for ADHD, a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts all facets of living throughout the lifespan. Research shows that stimulants are effective, safe, and vital to improving the health outcomes of individuals with ADHD.
The drug shortage has created immense hardship for individuals already living with a highly stigmatized condition. Some caregivers and patients must endure hours of phone calls and travel each month to access pharmacies that can fill their prescriptions. Providers have switched patients to less-than-optimal-but-available alternative medications. Desperate patients are endangering their lives by procuring counterfeit drugs on the black market and using illicit substances to self-medicate.
Patients unable to access their prescribed ADHD medications have lost jobs, and their ability to carry out daily tasks or adequately care for their children, many of whom have ADHD as well. The shortage has led to lower academic performance and increased behavioral and emotional problems for children, who may bear the repercussions for a lifetime.
Patients who can access their ADHD medication must now contend with higher drug prices, which are outpacing inflation. In some cases, prices for stimulant medications have doubled and tripled since the shortage began, further derailing treatment for many.
In August 2023, your agency issued a joint statement with the FDA outlining steps to alleviate the shortage. The letter assured Americans with ADHD that your agency takes ADHD and its treatment seriously. Your agency’s subsequent lack of action and transparency suggests that you do not.
I understand that the DEA cannot compel a manufacturer to begin or change their drug production, however I also know that the agency has the authority, responsibility, and opportunity to adjust production quotas and to otherwise move us toward solutions to these significant drug shortages. I urge the agency to stop pointing fingers and start devising solutions to a dangerous ongoing health crisis. I call on the DEA to expedite plans to ensure patient access to the full suite of medications used to treat ADHD, and to do so with urgency.
The livelihood of millions of Americans depends on your swift action. Thank you very much for your timely focus and attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Contact the FDA
Send this letter as an email to the FDA
The Honorable Robert Califf
Commissioner of Food and Drugs
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, Maryland 20993-0002
Dear Commissioner Califf,
Millions of American caregivers and patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have endured unprecedented healthcare disruptions and adverse outcomes since the Federal Drug Administration first reported shortage of Adderall, the amphetamine mixed salts used to treat ADHD, in October 2022.
Patient advocates and legislators have called on federal agencies to help combat the nationwide Adderall shortage, yet it continues to impact the health and wellbeing of millions. In fact, the shortfall has extended to methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, and more ADHD medications.
Stimulant medication is a first-line treatment for ADHD, a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts all facets of living throughout the lifespan. Research shows that stimulants are effective, safe, and vital to improving the health outcomes of individuals with ADHD.
The drug shortage has created immense hardship for individuals already living with a highly stigmatized condition. Some caregivers and patients must endure hours of phone calls and travel each month to access pharmacies that can fill their prescriptions. Providers have switched patients to less-than-optimal-but-available alternative medications. Desperate patients are endangering their lives by procuring counterfeit drugs on the black market and using illicit substances to self-medicate.
Patients unable to access their prescribed ADHD medications have lost jobs, and their ability to carry out daily tasks or adequately care for their children, many of whom have ADHD as well. The shortage has led to lower academic performance and increased behavioral and emotional problems for children, who may bear the repercussions for a lifetime.
Patients who can access their ADHD medication must now contend with higher drug prices, which are outpacing inflation. In some cases, prices for stimulant medications have doubled and tripled since the shortage began, further derailing treatment for many.
In August 2023, your agency issued a joint statement with the DEA outlining steps to alleviate the shortage. The letter assured Americans with ADHD that your agency takes ADHD and its treatment seriously. Your agency’s subsequent lack of action and transparency suggests that you do not.
Although I understand that the FDA cannot compel a manufacturer to begin or change their drug production, the agency has the authority, responsibility, and opportunity to move us toward solutions to these significant drug shortages. I urge the agency to stop pointing fingers and start devising solutions to this dangerous ongoing health crisis. I call on the FDA to expedite plans to ensure patient access to the full suite of medications used to treat ADHD, and to do so with urgency.
The livelihood of millions of Americans depends on your swift action. Thank you very much for your timely focus and attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
