Virginia's Adderall shortage leaves ADHD patients searching for medication

• Increasing demand, greater awareness of ADHD leading to more diagnoses, manufacturer delays and drug quota limits are all factors for the shortage, but widespread solutions are currently at an impasse.

Driving the news: Earlier this month, in a letter obtained by Axios, Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger pressed the heads of the FDA and DEA — the agencies responsible for addressing drug shortages and regulating supply, respectively — about the two-year limbo ADHD patients have been facing.

• She asked whether the DEA plans to increase production quotas for Adderall and its generics like it did earlier this year for Concerta and Vyvanse. She also asked what Congress can do to help them address and prevent these issues.
• The letter gives the agencies until Nov. 12 to respond. A Spanberger spokesperson said they haven't yet.

The big picture: ADHD is a chronic neurological disorder that can be debilitating because of how it affects daily functioning and emotional regulation, per the American Psychiatric Association.

• For kids, not having the medication to treat it can impact their ability to learn and function in the classroom, Spanberger said.
• Richmond resident Kelley Losier, who has been on Adderall for about a decade, described forgoing the medication as a disruptive Domino effect.
• "Your energy plummets, your focus definitely plummets and frankly, too … it made me feel depressed," Losier said. "I'm not used to navigating these symptoms without it."

Zoom in: Since Adderall is a controlled substance, it's only available via a 30-day supply. A refill can't be called in before those 30 days are up.

• Multiple people, including Losier, told Axios that they factor in the potential for refill delays by rationing their medication to make it last longer.
• Some, who asked to be anonymous so as not to publicly disclose their diagnosis, said they've asked their doctors for alternatives.

Yes, but: Some of the alternatives can be out of stock, too.

• Richmond resident Carson McNamara takes methylphenidate, another ADHD medication, and now drives 20 minutes away to a local pharmacy to find it.
• Before switching pharmacies, McNamara went two months without it.

Threat level: Spanberger told Axios that among her greatest concerns is a patient turning to an underground market when they can't find the medication at pharmacies — especially as the opioid epidemic shifts toward fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills.

• "That level of desire to function normally, or wherever their prescription gets them in their day-to-day, might drive them to a dangerous circumstance," Spanberger said. "I just think it's a risk factor that is a really, really scary one."

Some tips that have helped people find ADHD medication in the Richmond area include:

• Check if pharmacies have lower dosages available since the higher ones are harder to find and talk to your doctor about switching.
• Check your local (non-chain) pharmacies.
• Check the CVS pharmacies inside of Targets.
• Go to Wegmans pharmacies.

Go deeper:

• The back-to-school hunt for Adderall is on
• Telehealth prescribing mess could reach Congress