Camber Pharma and Sun Pharma are the latest companies to report shortages of Adderall as supplies run low nationwide.
Other pharma companies reporting shortages of the ADHD drug include Amneal, Teva, Par Pharmaceuticals, Rhodes and Sandoz, according to an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists database.
The addition of Camber and Sun to the shortage list comes as the U.S. continues to grapple with an Adderall shortage that has lasted for months.
Most recently, CVS and Walgreens reported shortages of the widely-used drug amid demand spikes last month.
The prescribing rate of Adderall among adults has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a study released by Trilliant Health in June, patient volumes and Adderall prescriptions increased in 2020 and 2021 among patients between the ages of 22 and 44. The study added that there are “more adults receiving prescription Adderall than there are with a formal ADHD diagnosis,” indicating that many patients are using a direct-to-consumer, self-pay option to receive the prescription.
This emerging dynamic has been an issue for embattled telehealth startup Cerebral, which announced in May it would stop prescribing Adderall to new patients with ADHD. The company made the decision following criticism that its Adderall prescribing practices emphasized growth over patient safety.
Subsequently, Cerebral became the subject of an investigation conducted by the Depart of Justice for possible violations of the Controlled Substances Act. In light of the scrutiny, Cerebral said in a statement that it was “adjusting marketing and advertising strategies” accordingly.
In a statement to MM+M, Cerebral said the company’s clinical leadership decided to cease prescribing controlled substances to new patients in anticipation of the end of the public health emergency waiver to the Ryan Haight Act.
“As clinically indicated, patients who were prescribed a controlled substance before May are either being tapered off of controlled substances or being transitioned to providers who can provide in-person care,” the statement read. “Cerebral is working with regulators to respond to their requests and educate them about Cerebral’s practices and commitment to quality. No regulator has accused Cerebral of any wrongdoing or violation of any law.”
