Relying On Perfection In An Imperfect World: ADHD Drug Shortage Could Spur Push For DEA Reform

Ongoing stimulant shortages leads to calls for DEA to allow for more elasticity in the supply chains of drugs with potential for abuse, but in wake of ongoing opioid crisis agency appears willing to potentially shift but not up quotas. 

US Drug Enforcement Administration flag
The DEA quota system adds extra layers of complication to the ADHD medication shortage • Source: Shutterstock

The ongoing shortage of stimulant medications used to treat ADHD is placing a target on the US Drug Enforcement Administration and its complicated system for allocating quota of controlled substances deemed at high potential for abuse as the tightly regulated process seems to be making it too difficult for manufacturers to adjust to changes in the supply chain.

Key Takeaways
  • ADHD drug shortage situation lacks some of the “typical” shortage characteristics. Sources said the medicines are profitable to make and there are more than a dozen manufacturers.

The ADHD drug shortage doesn’t match the typical characteristics of US drugs in short supply, which are often complex older...

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