It is estimated that 1.9 million people (3 to 4 % of the UK population) have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which affects their behaviour and thus their day to day life. It can cause feelings of restlessness or hyperactivity, difficulty remembering things and lapsed focus on tasks, and can cause impulsive behaviour. Individuals who struggle with these symptoms and find they impact their daily lives should make contact with their GP for assessment.
As ADHD symptoms and seeking help for this problem have become more normalised in society, and people feel able to discuss these feelings and are able to reach out and seek help, this has unfortunately affected supply of medications to treat ADHD and there is a worldwide shortage as manufacturers try to meet the higher demand. Our pharmacy staff are experienced in helping source these medications and will be more than happy to have a chat or if you feel you'd like to talk about obtaining your medicine for you, we understand the impact ADHD can have on peoples lives and appreciate the importance of these medications..
Waiting lists for assessment through the NHS have built up signficantly and have been further impacted due to prescribers being asked not to start anyone on ADHD medication from the end of September 2023. Medication supply is showing some improvement although there are still a number of medication types and strengths affected by the shortages..
Suddenly stopping medications containing methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine can cause patients to "feel jittery, tired, find it difficult to pay attention, stay focused and feel restless". Our advice is to not stop taking these medications abruptly or take any action without discussing it with your GP or pharmacist. This especially applies if you are having problems obtaining Intunviv/Guanfacine unless this has specifically been advised by your ADHD clinician. This is because there are potentially serious risks to you if changes to this medication are not made in the correct way and it is advisable to contact your ADHD clinician for advice if they have not already been in touch with you.
It is not advisable to switch to another type of medication if you cannot access your usual medication due to the possibility that it may not be the best medication for you and would take time to titrate the dose correctly. It is anticipated that shortages will be resolved before you start to see the benefit from any new medication and likely you would then need to change back to the original medication once it becomes available which would involve a further period of sub-optimal dose.
Some medicines may be available as a different brand or as a multiple of a lower strength to make up the correct daily dose. We appreciate that different brands have a different release profile and although many patients switch between brands with no issues, we are aware that some patients may only find certain brands effective for them and we would be happy to discuss this further with anyone. It would be wise to order your prescription at least 2 weeks in hand well before running out to give your pharmacy time to obtain the ADHD treatment. In addition, since many of these medicines are classed as controlled drugs, alterations may need to be made by the prescriber to the prescription before it is legally allowed to be dispensed. It would be advisable to telephone pharmacies to check what they have available as supply of medications can vary from pharmacy to pharmacy.
Coping Strategies
We recommend that (with the exception of Guanfacine/Intuniv that you take your medication on the days you need it most, for example on days when you are at work, or have a significant event like an exam. Usually symptoms from not taking these medicines will last no more than three to four days. so it is advisable to avoid driving, operating heavy machinery and not to make any important decisions during this time. You can also talk to your GP about being signed off work if you are unable to function well enough and can reach out to friends, family and therapists for further support, if you experience severe mental health difficulties, you can contact NHS 111.
Additional resources that can help are for example:
- Apply for access to work, which can pay for you to actually access things like ADHD coaching and virtual assistant,
- Ask people for help - whether that's your friends and family or your employer, and ask them to help you do things like making sure that you're eating enough food and looking after yourself.
- ADHD UK, Mind (mental health charity) and NHS have resources on coping with ADHD and provides good information on this.
- Exercise is also something that can be very helpful and it is recommended to make this a part of your daily routine.
