Simon Hawkins, a father of three from Caerphilly, has been left without his medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for over two weeks, and called the situation unnerving. Hawkins was diagnosed with ADHD in January 2023 after experiencing issues with concentration and memory. He was prescribed 70mg of a medication called Elvanse – the maximum dose – to help manage his symptoms. Without his medication, he has trouble with day-to-day activities such as staying on top of tasks and staying focused.
Hawkins was prescribed the medication privately, due to long NHS waiting times, and has to reapply for medication each month from a psychiatrist, instead of receiving an automatic repeat prescription. The prescription system creates more difficulties when dealing with medication shortfalls. The 70mg tablets he was prescribed are out of stock, causing Hawkins to go on a ‘wild goose chase’ to find a substitute. A combination of 20mg and 30mg tablets was approved by the psychiatrist because Elvanse is a controlled drug. However, the 30mg tablets were no longer available and substituted with 60mg, made up of 20mg tablets, however, those were out of stock at the pharmacies as well.
Several medications used to treat ADHD are currently in short supply across the UK. The NHS informed Community Pharmacy Wales about the supply disruption and advised prescribers not to start new patients on the affected products until supply issues are resolved. The shortage includes various strengths of Elvanse, Concerta XL, Equasym XL, Intuniv, Xaggitin XL, and Xenidate XL.
Henry Shelford, the chief executive of charity ADHD UK, stated that hundreds of thousands of people were affected in the UK and sudden removal of medication was “akin to removing a wheelchair from a disabled person that needs it.” Wales’ government issued a statement, saying the disruptions affect the entirety of the UK and patients have been informed about alternative treatments like sourcing unlicensed imported medicines. While pharmacies continue to work on sourcing medications for patients across Wales, the supply shortages are expected to be resolved by December.
The situation has left Hawkins feeling unnecessarily anxious, particularly ahead of his son’s recent third birthday, where he had trouble wrapping his gifts and almost missed picking him up for nursery. He feels that a supply chain system where pharmacies can share stock or supply records would be useful in such cases
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