While UCA students have had an easier time picking up their ADHD medications from pharmacies outside Conway, local pharmacies are still struggling with shortages.
According to CBS News, the Food and Drug Administration said the nationwide shortage of ADHD stimulant medications is continuing into its second year.
Scott, a pharmacist at Baker Drug Store on Front St who did not provide his last name, said, “It’s been horrible.”
He said it started with Adderall, and now Vyvanse and Focalin are in short supply.
The store tells customers to call other pharmacies “to see if anybody has it.”
“Then they have to get their doctor or provider to send it to that pharmacy. I’m sure it’s a headache for the doctors as well,” Scott said.
Pamela Puckett, a pharmacist at Heartland Pharmacy on Dave Ward, said, “It’s really impacted our customers, trying to make sure everybody is able to get their medication.
“We’ve tried to find other sources, other wholesalers to try to help. We’ve had trouble with Ritalin, but then it’s other medications as well. It’s not just those types of medicine,” she said. “We’ve had issues in the past with blood pressure medicine … just like a lot of problems with shortages.”
Puckett said customers usually aren’t upset when they can’t get their prescription.
“I think they know already. It’s been pretty widespread. No one is really shocked. We just try to work with people to make sure they can get what they need.”
A pharmacist at Walmart on Dave Ward said she could not provide a comment due to corporate policy; a pharmacist at Sav-On Drugs on Oak Street said the store had no comment.
Lauren Elkins, a senior majoring in anthropology and double minoring in Asian studies and Spanish, was diagnosed with narcolepsy type 2 in summer 2021 and takes Adderall XR to help.
“Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder, and type 2 is the less severe one. I experience excessive daytime sleepiness, meaning I don’t typically feel rested after sleeping or after taking naps,” Elkins said. “Stimulants like Adderall help with promoting wakefulness in the brain, which is the reason why Adderall is prescribed to narcoleptics. It helps me stay awake despite how sleepy I am and helps me focus.”
According to an article from The Echo, Elkins had been struggling to get her refills since spring 2022.
“I am actually having an easier time getting my Adderall prescription lately,” she said.
She has been getting refills in Bentonville at the Walmart Pharmacy on North Main Street when she is home for breaks.
She said she previously could not refill her prescription at Walmart on Prince Street and Dave Ward.
Harley Walls, a junior business management major with a minor in marketing, said she picked up her Adderall XR from Walmart Pharmacy in Beebe on Feb. 9.
According to a December 2023 article from The Echo, Walls was unable to refill her prescription at the Walmart in Beebe.
She had tried switching to Walmart on Dave Ward, but it also didn’t carry her prescription.
Walls said she is still struggling with school because of her ADHD.
“I think I need a higher dose,” she said.
Caitlin Lawrence, a junior majoring in English education, said, “I, very fortunately, wasn’t really affected by the shortage or anything. I think it’s because I take a higher dose.”
According to the same article, she was diagnosed with ADHD in August 2023.
She still picks up her Focalin XR prescription from CVS Pharmacy on Oak Street.
According to NBC News, FDA spokesperson Chanapa Tantibanchai said the agency is working with “numerous manufacturers” to “understand, mitigate and prevent shortages.”
She said, “The FDA recognizes the potential impact that the lack of availability of certain products may have on health care providers and patients.”