Conway residents are still struggling to fill their Adderall prescriptions, despite a November 2022 prediction by the Food and Drug Administration that the shortage would only last between 30-60 days.

Lauren Elkins, a UCA junior diagnosed with narcolepsy type 2 in 2021, has taken Adderall for almost three years to help regulate her sleep and wake cycles during the daytime. 

Adderall is a medication that helps manage attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly known as ADHD, as well as narcolepsy. 

While the FDA announced the shortage last October, Elkins reported struggling to get refills for months prior, beginning in spring 2022.

She has struggled to refill her medication for almost a year now and said it “progressively got more difficult as time went on.” 

She typically sends her prescription to Walmart but said as of late, they are usually out.

“Unfortunately, there are no alternatives for Adderall when taking it for the type of narcolepsy I have, so I just go without and wait for it to be in stock again,” Elkins said. 

Going as long as a week without her medication while waiting for a refill, Elkins said her grades “suffered like crazy.” 

The shortage is especially frustrating for students who cannot get medicine that helps them stay alert and attentive.

“It is rough, especially as a university student where being able to focus and stay awake is a requirement,” Elkins said.

The FDA didn’t provide a clear explanation for the shortage but said it is in frequent contact with one of the manufacturing companies, Teva, which is experiencing ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays. 

Other manufacturers continue to produce the substance, but there is not sufficient supply to continue meeting U.S. market demand through those producers, according to FDA.gov. 

Conway pharmacies say they’ve struggled with getting and keeping Adderall in stock. 

A Conway Walgreens pharmacy tech confirmed it has taken a beating from the shortage, saying, “Once we receive any sort of shipment of Adderall, it flies out the door.” 

They said getting the drug in stock has been an issue for a few months. When delivering the news to a customer that they cannot do a refill, about 20% of people will ask for alternatives or a different strength, if available, they said.

However, it usually is not.

A Heartland Pharmacy manager said they’ve got it handled, claiming to have little to no trouble getting the sought-after drug in stock.

“Yeah, actually, that’s already kind of done. They’ve got it back in stock now. We’re able to get it now. The drug shortages are all tough, but as far as an epidemic goes, I don’t think it would fall under that category,” they said.