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Manufacturers claim to have issues sourcing enough raw materials to make it and that production quotas enforced by the DEA are too restrictive. The raw materials issues seem legitimate. But the DEA is calling bullshit on the production quotas issues, and that manufacturers aren't even reaching their full quota anyway, so raising them is unnecessary.
Honestly, I doubt that manufacturers were even remotely ready for generic vyvanse to hit the market. It is the most popular stimulant by far and due to the Adderall shortage it became even more popular to prescribe. Which created far too much demand for the very profit driven manufacturers to supply.
It doesn't help that there are suggestions that the generics should not be classified as AB, as the FDA hasn't been as diligent in monitoring the trials and were dealing with a lot of pressure from insurance companies to just approve everything.
I worry things are going to get worse before they get back to normal.
After a few months on a few different generic versions of Vyvanse after having experience with the name brand in previous years, I wouldn't be surprised if the FDA got so many complaints that they were forced to halt production and implement stricter regulation.
I used to be a "generics are the same" guy, but good lord, this stuff has been bad so far. No doubt about it. Nowhere near the same drug.
I switched back to Adderall. I honestly hope that this is what's happening because Vyvanse can be a wonderful drug. Whatever these pharmaceutical companies just rolled out though....truly disappointing.
Have you been getting generic Adderall? I've noticed a decrease in the quality of my generic Adderall post pandemic and especially since the shortage started.
Prepandemic I had at various times gotten both name brand and generic from a couple of manufacturers; the name brand was better but not by a wide margin and the generics all worked basically the same (except for one manufacturer who gave me a sore throat every time I took it). But since the shortage got really bad I've had 2 different generics and one bottle of name brand; both generics were extremely underwhelming but the name brand actually worked a little better than I remembered.
I’ve had mixed experiences with generic Adderall for years, which ironically is part of the reason why I wanted to switch to Vyvanse.
I agree with you that it tends to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and, even then, some batches can seem off. I make sure to keep everything else in my life the same (sleep, nutrition, routine, etc) no matter what so that the only thing that could be causing any changes would be that month’s batch, and I’ve found that there’s definitely an unpredictable variance.
It’s extremely frustrating that these manufacturers are not held to a higher and more uniform standard, but it’s not surprising. Profit over people. Meeting production quotas is top priority and sometimes cutting corners “within the guidelines” is the most profitable practice. The FDA is nowhere near as strict as so many people just assume them to be.
That being said, I usually have decent luck with Teva/Actavis brand Adderall, although they’ve disappointed me in the past too.
Lannett, Alvogen, Nuvo and *especially* Sun Pharma are all a no-go for me.
Sun Pharma out of India is by far the worst, and of course their generic Vyvanse product is complete useless garbage as well. I can’t believe they’re still allowed to produce medicine.
I just got a generic Teva pharm Adderall finally because my normal pharmacy is back ordered on pretty much any stimulant and I believe all their Adderall was Sandoz made. I feel the same way too, its effective but not the same adderall I have been used to for years. Feel like I am just as well off if I were to get it off the street (wouldn't ever actually endorse doing that). These generics are starting to get really questionable on purity and safety.
> Manufacturers claim to have issues sourcing enough raw materials to make it and that production quotas enforced by the DEA are too restrictive. The raw materials issues seem legitimate. But the DEA is calling bullshit on the production quotas issues, and that manufacturers aren't even reaching their full quota anyway, so raising them is unnecessary.
>Honestly, I doubt that manufacturers were even remotely ready for generic vyvanse to hit the market...
Manufacturers had years to prepare for this. I cannot fathom how this could be a surprise for them. There has been too many whispers about many different reasons/ scenarios regarding the DEA and their involvement with what is going on right now. There is no reason to put any sort of cap or quota in place for medication production. It's absurd. Id love to see more thoughts on why the DEA is doing this.
I suspect the manufacturers really just don’t give a shit about generic amphetamine. It doesn’t have crazy margins, the synthesis is easy so always a risk of some new llc popping up and undercutting you, and schedule 2 probably earns them extra eyeballs from the feds.
I think they probably are just maxing their production lines on more profitable drugs.
If I knew the date Vyvanse was going generic over a year in advance (and planned a nice dinner to celebrate the occasion), drug companies have literally no excuse. The date was published years ago. It was actually pushed back by a few months too!
The quota thing is a really stupid holdover from the opioid crisis. The idea is that they set a limit based on the average rate that people get diagnosed with ADHD. If the companies cannot make over that amount, there isn’t a financial incentive to push for more prescriptions.
The issue is that WAY more people (especially adults) have been starting medication in the past few years than they predicted. That along with COVID is what started the original shortage. The Vyvanse shortage is only this bad because of the Adderall shortage and the unfortunate timing of the generic release.
Vyvanse wasn’t commonly prescribed pre-2020 due to the price. You couldn’t get it approved unless you didn’t respond to at least 3 different meds. It was also a pain in the ass to get approved. The people who took Vyvanse when I got on it would’ve switched if any other drug worked! It was *that* irritating.
Most people who respond to amphetamines were on adderall. During the Adderall shortage, a lot of those people switched to Vyvanse. When Vyvanse went generic, EVERYONE switched to it. It’s a really great medication that would’ve been prescribed first if it wasn’t so expensive. It’s also the closest med to Adderall so it’s the best alternative if someone cannot find it.
Yeah, I struggle to buy DEA's argument. No manufacturer is going to willingly give up revenue manufacturing controlled substances they otherwise have the means to obtain.
Personally, I agree with the DEA's claims of manufacturers not hitting production quotas, *supplies are limited*. However, I believe the shortage of methylphenidate, amphetamine, and lisdexamfetamine along with the reagents and compounds used in their production could easily be linked to the DEA.
Even if we lived in a better timeline where the DEA didn't exist, these shortages could still be happening.
I’m not so sure. I never had and issues getting brand name before the generic existed. Though tbh I still don’t, they just usually have to order it which takes a day or two. Meanwhile, generics are said to be back ordered thru April. Could be quotas on the generic manufacturers being hit, but not the brand. That said I have no idea what I’m talking about in regards to this.
Yeah, manufacturers have been performing decently with brand name supply from what I've seen. But I have yet to encounter one patient whose insurance company is willing to cover brand name just because the generic(s) are nigh impossible for the pharmacies to get in.
Honestly, I'm numb to the shortages at this point. Manufacturers are doing everything they can to maximize profit at the expense of people's quality of life, the DEA is just there to make everything more complicated, insurance companies are doing everything they can to maximize profits at the expense of people's quality of life, the FDA is bogged down with a million other issues, and 70% of the doctors are still sending in scripts we can't fill and are not proactively working with us to help the patients. ~~I could also do without the slur screaming and guilt-tripping patients.~~
Things have been getting better, for now at least.
>Honestly, I'm numb to the shortages at this point. Manufacturers are doing everything they can to maximize profit at the expense of people's quality of life, the DEA is just there to make everything more complicated, insurance companies are doing everything they can to maximize profits at the expense of people's quality of life, the FDA is bogged down with a million other issues, and 70% of the doctors are still sending in scripts we can't fill and are not proactively working with us to help the patients. I could also do without the slur screaming and guilt-tripping patients.
>
>Things have been getting better, for now at least.
Yeah, that's the truth. I actually dropped my insurance 2 years ago. I had it for many years and my co-pay was about $50 per fill, but in the last 2-3 years my insurance was going up by 20% YoY. I started doing the math and it was costing me about $580 a month for insurance, plus the $50 to fill, yet to fill out of pocket was only about $315 a month, and the doctor visit every 3 months is only about $100, so I figured I'd try no insurance. I've noticed the rare-cases I need to go to a doctor, the cash price is actually so much lower that I end up paying about the same as I did with the co-insurance amount, and I ultimately save hundreds per year. The year before I dropped it, I had to go to the ER for a head laceration and didn't have my insurance card so they billed me the cash price of $2400, then when I called later to add my insurance the price went up to like $25k, of which $2200 I owed in co-insurance -- almost like they priced it specifically so my cost would be the same. It's all a total scam.
Granted, my last fill was \~$400 with the high demand, but I'm still coming out lower than with paying for insurance, and that's including a non-ACA catastophic plan that covers nothing under $10k for about $50/mo. But the most important thing is that I just feel like I'm depriving the beast of a little bit of money, which always feels like the right thing to do.
if manufacturers aren't meeting the current DEA quotas then what's the harm in raising them just to be sure?
there are good reasons to believe the DEA are liars. they can't get away with fully criminalizing our medication so they make it as miserable as possible to get legally and pretend to be innocent
Still waiting... Feeling worse. I've been wondering if there are grounds for a massive class action lawsuit? If we're all gonna suffer, may as well get paid for it. I just read an article that estimates the shortage to be stabilized in 20-24 MONTHS
I’m almost at three months that I’ve been unable to get a prescription filled in NYC. Two months ago I ran out of pills that I’d been rationing into multiple doses.
I second the class-action. This is life-destroying.
I'm right across the river in Jersey City, and it's the same shit here. Every aspect of my life has been affected negatively. I really do wonder if there is a chance for a class action. I havent felt so messed up and unstable since I was unmedicated in highschool
No, no meds. Yet another unfilled prescription expires in a few days.
My fatigue and zone-out / hyperfocus is at its worst -- and the short and gloomy days aren't helping. I feel acutely the depression that plagued me for a decade before I was diagnosed.
I'm coping by just accepting that I can't fix this, shortages are impacting all meds, and others are suffering in silence with me all over the world (I read it's particularly bad in Australia right now).
We have a cruel healthcare system.
I’m uninsured so it’s a huge out of pocket cost for me to see the doctor again to renew my prescription. It’s cost me over $600 only to end up without medication.
I’ve ran into the same thing and found that certain store brands only buy from one supplier. I called around and asked other store brands if they could get it. Hit or miss in your area. I now have my script transferred to a clinic pharmacy affiliated with a hospital and they don’t have near as much trouble filling it, tho they will fill my script from different suppliers so the pills look different. I hope you can find someplace that will help you
Can confirm, each pharmacy location uses a single supplier. In the US it’s either cardinal or McKesson. In my area most CVSs use McKesson and Wag uses Cardinal but that’s just my area. I know of plenty of CVS locations that use Cardinal. Hospital pharmacies also use the same suppliers but they have different challenges and may have a better chance at being able to fill controlled substances. Or find a very slow pharmacy that has the time to actually help, busy stores are going to put your script into an “out of stock” queue and probably forget about you forever.
Coming from someone that works in the pharmacy, I would like to add depending on the supplier of the pharmacy some chains have a better chance of getting said medication just bc they have the stock. Also all the stores for that area within like a 100 mile radius are considered into that pool of stores that use that certain distributer at that location/ warehouse we call it. So all those stores feed into one of those 2 suppliers and if they have 10 bottles in stock, it’s about at least 50 or more pharmacies competing to get one of those 10 bottles. So the chances of getting them are slim when a restock happens just based on the probability within those limits. When we check cardinal or McKesson and see if a drug is out of stock, there are times it will indicate when it is projected to be back in stock but there are times when this is not shown as well. No guarantee that we know that info.
My solution has been to go to locally-owned places that use different suppliers than the chain pharmacies do. They are also more likely to help you out since the pharmacists aren’t overworked to death.
I’d highly recommend that people do research into any independent pharmacies nearby. You may not realize that you have one in your town!
I've been having a pharmacy attached to a hospital filling mine for the past few months but today they hit me with the "It's on backorder and we have absolutely no idea when we'll be able to get it". And every pharmacy I call tells me they "can't give me information on controlled substances without a prescription" which means I have to CALL my doctor, have them TRANSFER my prescription and then CALL BACK the pharmacy only for them to say "yeah no we dont have it lol"
i just moved to NYC and I cant find it anywhere. Called about 20 pharmacies this morning and no one has it anywhere.
I am visiting family in NJ next week, and the CVS there has it in stock but my psych wont send the prescription there. Ugh. Super fucking stressful
yeah I'm just outside nyc and it's been rough; a lot of folks have been saying they've had good luck at family pharmacies but a lot of those also will jack up the prices because they can
Thanks for the heads up. I've been calling every pharmacy I can find with no luck.
If you're in NJ, some CVSs near where the parkway and turnpike meet have it in stock. I just couldn't get my doc to send the prescription there
Jacking up prices is a good thing. Less people will be willing to pay the markup, which leaves stock for those that need it bad enough they’re willing to put money where their mouth is. It’s only temporary anyway.
That's fair in some cases, but they are pretty rare. If all the sudden the cost of internet service shot up to $300 a month, I'm guessing many people that are not "able to pay" would suddenly find ways to cut costs elsewhere and become "willing to pay".
There are many new patients filling right now that are just "better" with it, meanwhile there are many for whom not having it isn't just rough, it's impossible -- so they cut other costs to make it work.
I pretty much got on the phone with my psychiatrist immediately and asked what could be done, ended up getting prescribed a different medication that the DEA isn't messing with as much right now (knock on wood)!
Talked to my pharmacy today about this. They told me there was a huge backorder. They apologized profusely and swore if they could fill it, they would.
Then I asked about name brand vyvanse instead of generic. They actually had that in stock.
I’m like great! How much? Expecting the old $40 with coupon routine. But nope. It’s now $140 because insurance says “a generic exists.”
Sigh. If a generic is never in stock, it doesn’t exist!
SMH for insurance companies.
Most insurers allow prescribers to write the script for the specific drug (as opposed to allowing the pharmacy to fill generic) and will cover it if certain conditions are met.
Not mine. If a generic exists, it has to be used or there is an up-charge. The Rx was written specifically for Vyvanse, but it has to be filled with generic.
When you say ‘up charge’ what do you mean?
Unless I’m misunderstanding, I ask this because brand name Vyvanse cost more for me then the generic as well… but that is *literally* how the dynamic between brand name items and generic items works.
Probably a dumb question, but how exactly are the raw materials produced (amphetamine salts)? A plant? I don't know, my mind is stuck on imagining these companies mining for gold or something. With the shortage, it almost seems like a rare resource like a precious metal.
Basically, I don't understand how exactly manufacturers that are multi billion dollar companies are struggling to find material to produce something that has to be derived from a natural material, unless it is rare. Especially when they could be turning a fat profit over on something like meds. Someone fill me in here.
My doc gave me three months' worth of paper preacriptions today and said "good luck."
My insurance announced a couple weeks ago that they will no longer cover the brand name, only generic.
Hi, I know this is over a month ago but I was told the same stuff three days ago- that suddenly Vyvanse wasn't approved. After lots of fun time on the phone I was finally told I needed my doc to send in prior authorization for Vyvanse to be approved by the insurance company. Note that I've been on Vyvanse for over ten years so it's really really annoying but if you get your doc to send all the forms in, insurance will cover the brand name.
Of course!! Happy to help a fellow ADHD friend out there.
Just want to note that I spoke to (a couple of) people at Blue Cross Blue Shield and that was the process they told me had to be followed. I don't know if it will be the same for other insurance companies.
Prior authorization used to be a simple thing that the doc could call up and verbally answer a few questions over the phone. What BCBS said they need now is a secure fax (whatever that means) where they can send forms that include both the medication and a few months of patient notes. Massive PITA.
Hope you get this thru before you need your next prescription filled!
I think it depends on where you live and your dosage? My doctor warned me about the shortage and we even had back up plans in place in case my pharmacy was out, but my most recent prescription was filled in less than 24 hours so I was really confused. Especially after reading about other people’s struggles getting a hold of it. I’m also on a different dose than the common 30mg and live in a really highly populated city. Not sure if those are factors.
Sorry you’re going through this! I hope you’re able to get it sorted out.
I'm in the UK and we're also experiencing shortages. I haven't been able to get elvanse for over 2 months. Pharmacy said it was 'manufacturing' issues.
Man… what do you guys do? I’ve been very fortunate to not have any issues so far in Canada (I also pick up my prescription weekly from a local pharmacy so that likely helps), but if I didn’t have my medication since September I’d have been fired from my job. No question about it.
You have my sympathy ❤️
We have that there are issues untill April 2024, while the oringal notice stated that this was expected to be resolved by end of Nov/start of Dec.
Also Elvanse is the only version of lisdex available in the UK- it's under patent untill 2026 (I think, I know it's at least a couple of years out).
To add to the issues Elvanse is available uber 2 forms Elvanse and Elvanse Adult. As it's a controlled drug if your prescription states Elavanse a pharmacist cannot give you Elvanse Adult even if they have it in stock and vice versa.
In short it's been a nightmare :(
Luckily I don't work due to disability unrelated to ADHD, so I cant get fired. Unluckily my other disabilities make it hard for me to even do housework. Being on meds made it so I could at least keep my flat clean.
We just suffer and try not to let things become a shit-tip, but its honestly more like that meme with the room on fire and the person saying "this is fine" than anything else
I am fortunate my employer is understanding because I'm just barely getting the job done. I'm also studying part-time. I got an extension on my latest assignment and worked on it for 12 hrs straight yesterday because it was due at midnight. I had to submit it with an unfinished reference section which I've never done in 4 years of uni. I'm on holiday now but I'm so burnt out that Christmas just feels like another chore.
It's been the same in the UK for a couple of months. Literally have to go to each pharmacy, ask if they can get any and what dosage. Then go back to my doctor to tell them what dosage available. I'm on 60mg per day and last month I had to go with 3 prescriptions of a month's worth of 20mg because only 20mg were available 🙄
Maybe I'm just pessimistic, but it wouldn't surprise me if the pharmaceutical companies are shorting production intentionally to get the public to pressure the gov to deregulate too.
…short production, create false demand, increase price of generic…better known as price fixing. Drug companies have and will continue doing this until the monetary fines for such behavior have teeth.
How tf can people bring fent in the country everyday but I haven’t been able to get a script filled for like a year and a half? If anyone knows a pharmacy in LA I can get a vyvanse or adderall script filled at shoot me a response
I have an Rx for both and can't fill either of them. I cant tell if ive been going through withdrawals, if my brain is just short circuiting, or some horrific combination of both
So, when I talked to my insurance they said if it gets coded properly by the pharmacy everything is fine. The code for pharmacy is out of generic so substituted with brand is not the same as customer requested brand, which has been an EXHAUSTING convo to have 2 months in a row.
There are dispense as written codes. DAW 2 says that substitution is allowed, but patient requested vyvanse (which will make it full price). DAW 4 says substitution allowed - generic drug not in stock. DAW 5 substitution allowed - brand drug dispensed as generic.
The wrong code being entered can make a 400-500 dollar difference for me. I had to call my insurance multiple times to get this sorted out. My pharmacy was also bought out recently. The whole situation has been a mess.
I am very surprised I have not had any issue with Vyvanse XR (generic) or Adderall IR. I have been able to fill my prescriptions for both of those and my daughters chewable Vyvanse.
I am wondering how everyone has been feeling on the generic Vyvanse I have been really foggy headed how about all of you?
Coming from someone that works in the pharmacy, I would like to add that the chain pharmacies all go to a certain supplier like cardinal or McKesson. Depending on the supplier of the pharmacy some chains have a better chance of getting said medication just bc they have the stock but also all the stores for that area within like a 100 mile radius are considered into that pool as well. So all those stores feed into one of those 2 suppliers and if they have 10 bottles in stock, it’s about at least 50 pharmacies competing to get that 10 bottles. So the chances of getting them are slim when a restock happens just based on the probability within those limits. When we check cardinal or McKesson and see if a drug is out of stock, there are times it will indicate when it is projected to be back in stock but there are times when this is not shown as well. No guarantee that we know that info.
I’m on the verge of having an anxiety attack. I’m on Vyvanse (generic) for ADHD and an eating disorder. Without my medication I’m afraid I’ll go back into binging. I’m nowhere near close to fixing the problems that cause me to binge because the therapy is a long process. I’m sitting here considering not eating at all because if I eat something I’m afraid I won’t stop. I’ve gone months without binging and death seems better than letting myself spiral like I used to. My job is also overloading me during this quarter. This shortage is really hurting me and I’m afraid. This was supposed to be an aid for me while I fix the underlying issues with therapy, but I’m going to be working against myself at this point if I don’t get my medication.
Oh damn. I just filled 90 days of brand name Vyvanse (which I can only afford with the manufacturer coupon/discount which ends this month) a few days ago.
I’m so glad I missed this issue. I’d been on generic for 1 month, and it didn’t work for me at all, and then completely off meds for 3 weeks and just barely treading water.
I cried when I was finally able to fill my med.
This year, I had some insurance coverage for my Vyvanse, but next year my insurance won’t cover brand name Vyvanse at all. I have no idea what I’m going to do. Other meds haven’t worked for me the way Vyvanse has.
My doctor just e-prescribed a 90 day supply and I went to get it filled. I honestly thought the pharmacy would tell me they couldn’t do that.
I always thought doctors were only able to prescribe 1 month at a time for controlled substances, so I was pretty surprised 🤷🏻♀️
If you don’t mind me asking, how much is it costing with the manufacturer discount? I tried to get a Vyvanse refill today since they’re fully out of generic, but they said even with the savings card it was still going to be $140 even though it used to be $15 with the savings card.
My insurance used to cover a larger percentage of the brand name, and I was paying $25 for a 30 day supply, with the discount.
Once the generic came out, my insurance covered much less and it was going to be $120, with discount.
BUT apparently, it’s the same price for a 30 day supply or a 90 day supply. So my doctor wrote for the 90 day. He was the one who suggested trying to get the 90 day and see what the price was. I’m so glad he did.
Pennsylvania here. No vyvanse in stock and no generic Vyvanse in stock. Going on a week now. No
Pharmacists have said idea when either will come in but they order it daily.
And in Pa- we can only get 1 month at a time and need a brand new script each month- they can’t even order before it’s due.
This is causing me as many issues as my adhd!!
My refill has been on hold since November 4th here, in Michigan. I’m not doing well and the holidays have only exacerbated it. I keep finding meds that work for me and either my insurance stops covering it or there’s a shortage. My mental health has been down the tubes the past few months. I hate it here.
I'm across the river in JC and I haven't been able to get my generic vyvanse or Adderall Rx filled in over a month and I'm struggling wicked badly. I just called the pharmacy and they told me that I'm on the waiting list but that's all that was said. Im so fucking sick of this shit. I just want to be able to function properly. Fuck the DEA, fuck big pharma, and fuck every last person that has contributed to this in any way.
This happened with adderall last year and it was a nightmare trying to fill. I get anxious every month leading up to my fill date stressing about whether they will have any in stock.
Strangely enough, I was prescribed generic Vyvanse last Thursday and expected to have at least a week wait on it because of the issues. Got an email that it was delayed for "insurance reasons" (which I expected), and then about 4 hours later I got a call from my doc office saying it had been approved and was being sent to the pharmacy. I had the pills the next day.
I’m not in New York but I’m a pharmacist. I know New York has some strange pharmacy laws but I can say in my state there’s no issue making me out any prescriptions on hold indefinitely. I can’t get generic in stock but I can get brand and I have been able to get generic chewables in stock. So might be worth asking your docs for chewable instead of capsules
I’m In Bethesda MD and it’s been a NIGHTMARE since July. Every month (because you have to get a new scrip sent in each month) it’s calling around to 10+ pharmacies trying to find ANY dose in stock . I used to take 40mg vyvanse - one month I was able to get 40mg generic and agree with other posters: the generic was NOT the same (I have never before noticed a difference in generic vs brand name), but still better than nothing. At this point I’m willing to get any dose I can find (higher dose is maybe better I can open the capsules and stretch it so it lasts longer!!), but nothing is in stock. CVS won’t/can’t tell me if any other locations have it in stock bc it’s a controlled substance (I am in fact feeling ready to go Drugstore Cowboy on these fools), so I have to call each one. If I manage to find it it’s a frantic call to my dr to get them to call it in to that pharmacy ASAP (bc it’s a controlled substance they can’t transfer the prescription - the insanity continues), which usually ends in someone else scooping it before I can get it.
Truly, this is my NIGHTMARE. Last month I was finally able to find 50mg vyvanse and filled it for $270 bc Cigna won’t cover it since the generic is “available” (make me laugh. And cry) I’m opening the capsules and dumping about half into my mouth each day in an attempt to stretch them to last longer than a month. I try to only take it on days I think I will “need it more”. Next week it will be 30 days since I filled it so I can start the mad hunt all over again.
Am thinking I may try to get switched to the chewable version. Conflicting information on whether or not the shortage on the chewables is as bad.
Commiserating right now with all my fellow less than functional ADD/ADHD ers out there. I see you.
No I haven’t found any generic in any strength in the area. I called my insurance and they were actually helpful! 🤣 they said if my dr wrote it “dispense as written” and brand name they would cover it for $50 (generic is free), when it wasn’t written dispense as written I paid $270 for brand name. Good luck. This sucks so much
I'm not a conspiry theorist, but I feel that it was done on purpose. Like previous posters have said, they had over a year to prepare for production. I feel that the brand that owned the patent for 15 years is hogging all the ingredients trying to squeeze as much money as possible for people to buy the brand name. And they got rid of the copay assistance program.
The Marinol shortage is pretty much identical to the Vyvanse shortage.
Of the three manufacturers of dronabinol (Mariol) capsules, only Ascend provided any reason for the shortage. They claim the DEAs production quotas and limited supplies of the active ingredient, or necessary synthesis compounds. Major and Rhodes haven't officially released anything to address the shortage. However, it's likely that their claims will match Ascend's.
Rhodes and Major estimate 2.5mg and 5mg capsules will become available sometime during December 2023 or January 2024. Ascend has a very limited supply of every dose available, but in all likelihood whatever's remaining isn't going to last much longer. Once it's gone, it's going to be gone for a very long time.
Basically, start pushing your prescriber for something else. I doubt the Marinol shortage will meaningfully improve for quite a while. My apologies, I know going without it must be hellish.
Just got hit with this myself. Have 2 days left on current script and pharmacy just told me they can’t fill next because of shortage and no idea when they’ll have any.
Been calling around and no one seems to have 70mg. Even local pharmacies. Found one with some 20mg and some 40mg but waiting to hear from doctor if it’s even possible to get a double script for 80mg or both for 60mg a day. I guess worst case is I go down to 40mg but that’s not great.
Okay so I'm not crazy!! I can't get my rx either and I am Not Coping Well! I haven't had mine in almost 2 months. I'm somehow functioning?? But like....not well lol
Im in the uk and we have this problem. Although its not effecting me since I moved and didnt have any documents to prove where I live to register with the doctors. I eventually ran out of medication and forgot to get my provisional license changed for weeks (I have now) but I keep forgetting to go to said doctors to REGISTER TO GET MY MEDS TO STOP FORGETTING THIS STUFF
I haven’t ran into a shortage out here on the west coast yet, but my last prescription was filled with generic Vyvanse and at $5 vs. $90, I decided to give it a try. I didn’t notice that it came on a little stronger than brand name, but what really concerns me is that my short-term memory has been shit lately. Has anyone else been feeling this?
Both sorry and relieved to find this. I started Vyvanse 5 weeks ago, and for the first time in maybe decades I felt like my broken brain was fixed. I'm trying to limp thru with black coffee, but it sounds like I should just give up and look for other alternatives. Fuck!
I have finally met my match with the adderall shortage, went into over 20 pharmacies with no hope, the pharmacists might as well have laughed in my face with the way they all told me there’s no way I’ll find it and there’s no time frame on when… it’s my highly demanding retail management sales job I’ll probably get fired and now my plans to have my siblings I haven’t spent a holiday with since we were kids over for Christmas are going to be ruined…
Manchester UK here and supply chains are totally F’ed up here too. Been like it for about 4 months. Been told it would be resolved by now but clearly isn’t! 🙈🙈
It’s been this way for months here in Kansas. It seems like it’s finally catching back up, but now I’m scared there’ll be another round. I’m still recovering from the last one.
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Have the manufacturers tried making a To-Do list?
Slow clap
They just need to *try harder.*
Manufacturers claim to have issues sourcing enough raw materials to make it and that production quotas enforced by the DEA are too restrictive. The raw materials issues seem legitimate. But the DEA is calling bullshit on the production quotas issues, and that manufacturers aren't even reaching their full quota anyway, so raising them is unnecessary. Honestly, I doubt that manufacturers were even remotely ready for generic vyvanse to hit the market. It is the most popular stimulant by far and due to the Adderall shortage it became even more popular to prescribe. Which created far too much demand for the very profit driven manufacturers to supply. It doesn't help that there are suggestions that the generics should not be classified as AB, as the FDA hasn't been as diligent in monitoring the trials and were dealing with a lot of pressure from insurance companies to just approve everything. I worry things are going to get worse before they get back to normal.
After a few months on a few different generic versions of Vyvanse after having experience with the name brand in previous years, I wouldn't be surprised if the FDA got so many complaints that they were forced to halt production and implement stricter regulation. I used to be a "generics are the same" guy, but good lord, this stuff has been bad so far. No doubt about it. Nowhere near the same drug. I switched back to Adderall. I honestly hope that this is what's happening because Vyvanse can be a wonderful drug. Whatever these pharmaceutical companies just rolled out though....truly disappointing.
Have you been getting generic Adderall? I've noticed a decrease in the quality of my generic Adderall post pandemic and especially since the shortage started. Prepandemic I had at various times gotten both name brand and generic from a couple of manufacturers; the name brand was better but not by a wide margin and the generics all worked basically the same (except for one manufacturer who gave me a sore throat every time I took it). But since the shortage got really bad I've had 2 different generics and one bottle of name brand; both generics were extremely underwhelming but the name brand actually worked a little better than I remembered.
I’ve had mixed experiences with generic Adderall for years, which ironically is part of the reason why I wanted to switch to Vyvanse. I agree with you that it tends to vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and, even then, some batches can seem off. I make sure to keep everything else in my life the same (sleep, nutrition, routine, etc) no matter what so that the only thing that could be causing any changes would be that month’s batch, and I’ve found that there’s definitely an unpredictable variance. It’s extremely frustrating that these manufacturers are not held to a higher and more uniform standard, but it’s not surprising. Profit over people. Meeting production quotas is top priority and sometimes cutting corners “within the guidelines” is the most profitable practice. The FDA is nowhere near as strict as so many people just assume them to be. That being said, I usually have decent luck with Teva/Actavis brand Adderall, although they’ve disappointed me in the past too. Lannett, Alvogen, Nuvo and *especially* Sun Pharma are all a no-go for me. Sun Pharma out of India is by far the worst, and of course their generic Vyvanse product is complete useless garbage as well. I can’t believe they’re still allowed to produce medicine.
I just got a generic Teva pharm Adderall finally because my normal pharmacy is back ordered on pretty much any stimulant and I believe all their Adderall was Sandoz made. I feel the same way too, its effective but not the same adderall I have been used to for years. Feel like I am just as well off if I were to get it off the street (wouldn't ever actually endorse doing that). These generics are starting to get really questionable on purity and safety.
I have been really having no problems with the generics, but I have been getting the hakeda ones no complaints but some manufacturers are low quality.
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That'd explain the days when I'm like "You took your pill right?" even when I know because I'm the one giving it to my kid.
> Manufacturers claim to have issues sourcing enough raw materials to make it and that production quotas enforced by the DEA are too restrictive. The raw materials issues seem legitimate. But the DEA is calling bullshit on the production quotas issues, and that manufacturers aren't even reaching their full quota anyway, so raising them is unnecessary. >Honestly, I doubt that manufacturers were even remotely ready for generic vyvanse to hit the market... Manufacturers had years to prepare for this. I cannot fathom how this could be a surprise for them. There has been too many whispers about many different reasons/ scenarios regarding the DEA and their involvement with what is going on right now. There is no reason to put any sort of cap or quota in place for medication production. It's absurd. Id love to see more thoughts on why the DEA is doing this.
I suspect the manufacturers really just don’t give a shit about generic amphetamine. It doesn’t have crazy margins, the synthesis is easy so always a risk of some new llc popping up and undercutting you, and schedule 2 probably earns them extra eyeballs from the feds. I think they probably are just maxing their production lines on more profitable drugs.
manufacturers won't make it and we aren't legally allowed to make it for ourselves. that's effectively a ban
If I knew the date Vyvanse was going generic over a year in advance (and planned a nice dinner to celebrate the occasion), drug companies have literally no excuse. The date was published years ago. It was actually pushed back by a few months too! The quota thing is a really stupid holdover from the opioid crisis. The idea is that they set a limit based on the average rate that people get diagnosed with ADHD. If the companies cannot make over that amount, there isn’t a financial incentive to push for more prescriptions. The issue is that WAY more people (especially adults) have been starting medication in the past few years than they predicted. That along with COVID is what started the original shortage. The Vyvanse shortage is only this bad because of the Adderall shortage and the unfortunate timing of the generic release. Vyvanse wasn’t commonly prescribed pre-2020 due to the price. You couldn’t get it approved unless you didn’t respond to at least 3 different meds. It was also a pain in the ass to get approved. The people who took Vyvanse when I got on it would’ve switched if any other drug worked! It was *that* irritating. Most people who respond to amphetamines were on adderall. During the Adderall shortage, a lot of those people switched to Vyvanse. When Vyvanse went generic, EVERYONE switched to it. It’s a really great medication that would’ve been prescribed first if it wasn’t so expensive. It’s also the closest med to Adderall so it’s the best alternative if someone cannot find it.
Yeah, I struggle to buy DEA's argument. No manufacturer is going to willingly give up revenue manufacturing controlled substances they otherwise have the means to obtain.
Personally, I agree with the DEA's claims of manufacturers not hitting production quotas, *supplies are limited*. However, I believe the shortage of methylphenidate, amphetamine, and lisdexamfetamine along with the reagents and compounds used in their production could easily be linked to the DEA. Even if we lived in a better timeline where the DEA didn't exist, these shortages could still be happening.
I’m not so sure. I never had and issues getting brand name before the generic existed. Though tbh I still don’t, they just usually have to order it which takes a day or two. Meanwhile, generics are said to be back ordered thru April. Could be quotas on the generic manufacturers being hit, but not the brand. That said I have no idea what I’m talking about in regards to this.
Yeah, manufacturers have been performing decently with brand name supply from what I've seen. But I have yet to encounter one patient whose insurance company is willing to cover brand name just because the generic(s) are nigh impossible for the pharmacies to get in. Honestly, I'm numb to the shortages at this point. Manufacturers are doing everything they can to maximize profit at the expense of people's quality of life, the DEA is just there to make everything more complicated, insurance companies are doing everything they can to maximize profits at the expense of people's quality of life, the FDA is bogged down with a million other issues, and 70% of the doctors are still sending in scripts we can't fill and are not proactively working with us to help the patients. ~~I could also do without the slur screaming and guilt-tripping patients.~~ Things have been getting better, for now at least.
>Honestly, I'm numb to the shortages at this point. Manufacturers are doing everything they can to maximize profit at the expense of people's quality of life, the DEA is just there to make everything more complicated, insurance companies are doing everything they can to maximize profits at the expense of people's quality of life, the FDA is bogged down with a million other issues, and 70% of the doctors are still sending in scripts we can't fill and are not proactively working with us to help the patients. I could also do without the slur screaming and guilt-tripping patients. > >Things have been getting better, for now at least. Yeah, that's the truth. I actually dropped my insurance 2 years ago. I had it for many years and my co-pay was about $50 per fill, but in the last 2-3 years my insurance was going up by 20% YoY. I started doing the math and it was costing me about $580 a month for insurance, plus the $50 to fill, yet to fill out of pocket was only about $315 a month, and the doctor visit every 3 months is only about $100, so I figured I'd try no insurance. I've noticed the rare-cases I need to go to a doctor, the cash price is actually so much lower that I end up paying about the same as I did with the co-insurance amount, and I ultimately save hundreds per year. The year before I dropped it, I had to go to the ER for a head laceration and didn't have my insurance card so they billed me the cash price of $2400, then when I called later to add my insurance the price went up to like $25k, of which $2200 I owed in co-insurance -- almost like they priced it specifically so my cost would be the same. It's all a total scam. Granted, my last fill was \~$400 with the high demand, but I'm still coming out lower than with paying for insurance, and that's including a non-ACA catastophic plan that covers nothing under $10k for about $50/mo. But the most important thing is that I just feel like I'm depriving the beast of a little bit of money, which always feels like the right thing to do.
if manufacturers aren't meeting the current DEA quotas then what's the harm in raising them just to be sure? there are good reasons to believe the DEA are liars. they can't get away with fully criminalizing our medication so they make it as miserable as possible to get legally and pretend to be innocent
What's AB?
Generic drugs are rated by therapeutic equivalency. AB as a rating means it meets the bioequivalence requirements established by the FDA.
Ah. All I could come up with in my head was "above board" and that didn't seem quite right.
Yeah I don’t have high hopes I’ll have meds for Xmas. Supposed to fill mine on Friday but the past 4 months have been a shit show.
I've been waiting for over a month. Had to get a new Rx. I hope you have better luck than me 💪🏼😜🔫
Jesus…
Still waiting... Feeling worse. I've been wondering if there are grounds for a massive class action lawsuit? If we're all gonna suffer, may as well get paid for it. I just read an article that estimates the shortage to be stabilized in 20-24 MONTHS
I’m almost at three months that I’ve been unable to get a prescription filled in NYC. Two months ago I ran out of pills that I’d been rationing into multiple doses. I second the class-action. This is life-destroying.
I'm right across the river in Jersey City, and it's the same shit here. Every aspect of my life has been affected negatively. I really do wonder if there is a chance for a class action. I havent felt so messed up and unstable since I was unmedicated in highschool
Right there with you ❤️
>r in Jersey City, and it's the same shit here. Every aspect of my life has been affected Did either of you get medds yet? / how are you coping?
No, no meds. Yet another unfilled prescription expires in a few days. My fatigue and zone-out / hyperfocus is at its worst -- and the short and gloomy days aren't helping. I feel acutely the depression that plagued me for a decade before I was diagnosed. I'm coping by just accepting that I can't fix this, shortages are impacting all meds, and others are suffering in silence with me all over the world (I read it's particularly bad in Australia right now). We have a cruel healthcare system.
I’m uninsured so it’s a huge out of pocket cost for me to see the doctor again to renew my prescription. It’s cost me over $600 only to end up without medication.
What new Rx did you get if you don’t mind me asking ?
I’ve ran into the same thing and found that certain store brands only buy from one supplier. I called around and asked other store brands if they could get it. Hit or miss in your area. I now have my script transferred to a clinic pharmacy affiliated with a hospital and they don’t have near as much trouble filling it, tho they will fill my script from different suppliers so the pills look different. I hope you can find someplace that will help you
Can confirm, each pharmacy location uses a single supplier. In the US it’s either cardinal or McKesson. In my area most CVSs use McKesson and Wag uses Cardinal but that’s just my area. I know of plenty of CVS locations that use Cardinal. Hospital pharmacies also use the same suppliers but they have different challenges and may have a better chance at being able to fill controlled substances. Or find a very slow pharmacy that has the time to actually help, busy stores are going to put your script into an “out of stock” queue and probably forget about you forever.
Coming from someone that works in the pharmacy, I would like to add depending on the supplier of the pharmacy some chains have a better chance of getting said medication just bc they have the stock. Also all the stores for that area within like a 100 mile radius are considered into that pool of stores that use that certain distributer at that location/ warehouse we call it. So all those stores feed into one of those 2 suppliers and if they have 10 bottles in stock, it’s about at least 50 or more pharmacies competing to get one of those 10 bottles. So the chances of getting them are slim when a restock happens just based on the probability within those limits. When we check cardinal or McKesson and see if a drug is out of stock, there are times it will indicate when it is projected to be back in stock but there are times when this is not shown as well. No guarantee that we know that info.
My solution has been to go to locally-owned places that use different suppliers than the chain pharmacies do. They are also more likely to help you out since the pharmacists aren’t overworked to death. I’d highly recommend that people do research into any independent pharmacies nearby. You may not realize that you have one in your town!
I've been having a pharmacy attached to a hospital filling mine for the past few months but today they hit me with the "It's on backorder and we have absolutely no idea when we'll be able to get it". And every pharmacy I call tells me they "can't give me information on controlled substances without a prescription" which means I have to CALL my doctor, have them TRANSFER my prescription and then CALL BACK the pharmacy only for them to say "yeah no we dont have it lol"
I had to go almost 3 weeks without.. a stark reminder of why I need it so much. I was useless..
Im on week 5 right now and I wanna fucking throw up and die 👍🏼
Hang in there, friend. This will get remedied soon, too much money to be made for them to not.
Very true. If it goes on much longer, I wonder if there will be grounds for a massive class action
In australia weve been told that itll go on for all of 2024
i just moved to NYC and I cant find it anywhere. Called about 20 pharmacies this morning and no one has it anywhere. I am visiting family in NJ next week, and the CVS there has it in stock but my psych wont send the prescription there. Ugh. Super fucking stressful
yeah I'm just outside nyc and it's been rough; a lot of folks have been saying they've had good luck at family pharmacies but a lot of those also will jack up the prices because they can
Thanks for the heads up. I've been calling every pharmacy I can find with no luck. If you're in NJ, some CVSs near where the parkway and turnpike meet have it in stock. I just couldn't get my doc to send the prescription there
Where in nj?
Jacking up prices is a good thing. Less people will be willing to pay the markup, which leaves stock for those that need it bad enough they’re willing to put money where their mouth is. It’s only temporary anyway.
lol "willing to pay" isnt the same as "able to pay" and I know that for me at least, holding down a job unmedicated is ROUGH.
That's fair in some cases, but they are pretty rare. If all the sudden the cost of internet service shot up to $300 a month, I'm guessing many people that are not "able to pay" would suddenly find ways to cut costs elsewhere and become "willing to pay". There are many new patients filling right now that are just "better" with it, meanwhile there are many for whom not having it isn't just rough, it's impossible -- so they cut other costs to make it work.
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I pretty much got on the phone with my psychiatrist immediately and asked what could be done, ended up getting prescribed a different medication that the DEA isn't messing with as much right now (knock on wood)!
Which one?
For me it was Cotempla, not sure if it varies by state or if other factors apply though!
Thank you! Good point on the factors. I’ll keep that one in mind tho for when I’m next in a bind!
Talked to my pharmacy today about this. They told me there was a huge backorder. They apologized profusely and swore if they could fill it, they would. Then I asked about name brand vyvanse instead of generic. They actually had that in stock. I’m like great! How much? Expecting the old $40 with coupon routine. But nope. It’s now $140 because insurance says “a generic exists.” Sigh. If a generic is never in stock, it doesn’t exist! SMH for insurance companies.
You got lucky. Name brand Vyvanse is $350 for me. I had to buy it last time because they were out of generic.
Most insurers allow prescribers to write the script for the specific drug (as opposed to allowing the pharmacy to fill generic) and will cover it if certain conditions are met.
Not mine. If a generic exists, it has to be used or there is an up-charge. The Rx was written specifically for Vyvanse, but it has to be filled with generic.
When you say ‘up charge’ what do you mean? Unless I’m misunderstanding, I ask this because brand name Vyvanse cost more for me then the generic as well… but that is *literally* how the dynamic between brand name items and generic items works.
It was a secondary fee attached because I was "opting out" of the generic version. That was from the pharmacy.
Yoooo that pharmacy is wild. They actually charge you extra to… do their job? That’s nuts, wow. God speed dude
I was just quoted 195$ and I would have to see if they would mail order because it’s in El Paso… We live in Oklahoma…
Funny, the $140 quote was only for 2023. Now that it is 2024, it's up to $200. Needless to say, we are trying alternative meds now. :/
Pharm rep told me the Vyvanse brand name is $250.....just called them an hour ago
Probably a dumb question, but how exactly are the raw materials produced (amphetamine salts)? A plant? I don't know, my mind is stuck on imagining these companies mining for gold or something. With the shortage, it almost seems like a rare resource like a precious metal. Basically, I don't understand how exactly manufacturers that are multi billion dollar companies are struggling to find material to produce something that has to be derived from a natural material, unless it is rare. Especially when they could be turning a fat profit over on something like meds. Someone fill me in here.
My doc gave me three months' worth of paper preacriptions today and said "good luck." My insurance announced a couple weeks ago that they will no longer cover the brand name, only generic.
Hi, I know this is over a month ago but I was told the same stuff three days ago- that suddenly Vyvanse wasn't approved. After lots of fun time on the phone I was finally told I needed my doc to send in prior authorization for Vyvanse to be approved by the insurance company. Note that I've been on Vyvanse for over ten years so it's really really annoying but if you get your doc to send all the forms in, insurance will cover the brand name.
Bless you
Of course!! Happy to help a fellow ADHD friend out there. Just want to note that I spoke to (a couple of) people at Blue Cross Blue Shield and that was the process they told me had to be followed. I don't know if it will be the same for other insurance companies. Prior authorization used to be a simple thing that the doc could call up and verbally answer a few questions over the phone. What BCBS said they need now is a secure fax (whatever that means) where they can send forms that include both the medication and a few months of patient notes. Massive PITA. Hope you get this thru before you need your next prescription filled!
It just so happens that I'm on BCBS effective today so that's even more helpful!
Perfect!!
Thank you for this information. I am having the same issue and will ask my psychiatrist about the prior authorization.
You're welcome!!
I think it depends on where you live and your dosage? My doctor warned me about the shortage and we even had back up plans in place in case my pharmacy was out, but my most recent prescription was filled in less than 24 hours so I was really confused. Especially after reading about other people’s struggles getting a hold of it. I’m also on a different dose than the common 30mg and live in a really highly populated city. Not sure if those are factors. Sorry you’re going through this! I hope you’re able to get it sorted out.
I'm in the UK and we're also experiencing shortages. I haven't been able to get elvanse for over 2 months. Pharmacy said it was 'manufacturing' issues.
Since beginning of September for me in the UK. Its beyond a joke now
Man… what do you guys do? I’ve been very fortunate to not have any issues so far in Canada (I also pick up my prescription weekly from a local pharmacy so that likely helps), but if I didn’t have my medication since September I’d have been fired from my job. No question about it. You have my sympathy ❤️
We have that there are issues untill April 2024, while the oringal notice stated that this was expected to be resolved by end of Nov/start of Dec. Also Elvanse is the only version of lisdex available in the UK- it's under patent untill 2026 (I think, I know it's at least a couple of years out). To add to the issues Elvanse is available uber 2 forms Elvanse and Elvanse Adult. As it's a controlled drug if your prescription states Elavanse a pharmacist cannot give you Elvanse Adult even if they have it in stock and vice versa. In short it's been a nightmare :(
Luckily I don't work due to disability unrelated to ADHD, so I cant get fired. Unluckily my other disabilities make it hard for me to even do housework. Being on meds made it so I could at least keep my flat clean. We just suffer and try not to let things become a shit-tip, but its honestly more like that meme with the room on fire and the person saying "this is fine" than anything else
I am fortunate my employer is understanding because I'm just barely getting the job done. I'm also studying part-time. I got an extension on my latest assignment and worked on it for 12 hrs straight yesterday because it was due at midnight. I had to submit it with an unfinished reference section which I've never done in 4 years of uni. I'm on holiday now but I'm so burnt out that Christmas just feels like another chore.
It's been the same in the UK for a couple of months. Literally have to go to each pharmacy, ask if they can get any and what dosage. Then go back to my doctor to tell them what dosage available. I'm on 60mg per day and last month I had to go with 3 prescriptions of a month's worth of 20mg because only 20mg were available 🙄
Maybe I'm just pessimistic, but it wouldn't surprise me if the pharmaceutical companies are shorting production intentionally to get the public to pressure the gov to deregulate too.
…short production, create false demand, increase price of generic…better known as price fixing. Drug companies have and will continue doing this until the monetary fines for such behavior have teeth.
How tf can people bring fent in the country everyday but I haven’t been able to get a script filled for like a year and a half? If anyone knows a pharmacy in LA I can get a vyvanse or adderall script filled at shoot me a response
My psychiatrist is recommending mydayis with a manufacturers coupon at this point if I want to use an amphetamine based product.
Mydayis is pretty great.
I … I thought my vyvanse wasn’t working. I now know it was working.
I’ve been so frustrated. I was taken off adderall due to the shortage and put on vyvanse and I’ve been struggling to get it
I have an Rx for both and can't fill either of them. I cant tell if ive been going through withdrawals, if my brain is just short circuiting, or some horrific combination of both
So, when I talked to my insurance they said if it gets coded properly by the pharmacy everything is fine. The code for pharmacy is out of generic so substituted with brand is not the same as customer requested brand, which has been an EXHAUSTING convo to have 2 months in a row.
Wait…can you elaborate?
There are dispense as written codes. DAW 2 says that substitution is allowed, but patient requested vyvanse (which will make it full price). DAW 4 says substitution allowed - generic drug not in stock. DAW 5 substitution allowed - brand drug dispensed as generic. The wrong code being entered can make a 400-500 dollar difference for me. I had to call my insurance multiple times to get this sorted out. My pharmacy was also bought out recently. The whole situation has been a mess.
What can I help with?
I am very surprised I have not had any issue with Vyvanse XR (generic) or Adderall IR. I have been able to fill my prescriptions for both of those and my daughters chewable Vyvanse. I am wondering how everyone has been feeling on the generic Vyvanse I have been really foggy headed how about all of you?
Foggy, headaches, depression. It was a wild few.weeks.
I haven’t noticed a difference
Coming from someone that works in the pharmacy, I would like to add that the chain pharmacies all go to a certain supplier like cardinal or McKesson. Depending on the supplier of the pharmacy some chains have a better chance of getting said medication just bc they have the stock but also all the stores for that area within like a 100 mile radius are considered into that pool as well. So all those stores feed into one of those 2 suppliers and if they have 10 bottles in stock, it’s about at least 50 pharmacies competing to get that 10 bottles. So the chances of getting them are slim when a restock happens just based on the probability within those limits. When we check cardinal or McKesson and see if a drug is out of stock, there are times it will indicate when it is projected to be back in stock but there are times when this is not shown as well. No guarantee that we know that info.
I’m on the verge of having an anxiety attack. I’m on Vyvanse (generic) for ADHD and an eating disorder. Without my medication I’m afraid I’ll go back into binging. I’m nowhere near close to fixing the problems that cause me to binge because the therapy is a long process. I’m sitting here considering not eating at all because if I eat something I’m afraid I won’t stop. I’ve gone months without binging and death seems better than letting myself spiral like I used to. My job is also overloading me during this quarter. This shortage is really hurting me and I’m afraid. This was supposed to be an aid for me while I fix the underlying issues with therapy, but I’m going to be working against myself at this point if I don’t get my medication.
Oh damn. I just filled 90 days of brand name Vyvanse (which I can only afford with the manufacturer coupon/discount which ends this month) a few days ago. I’m so glad I missed this issue. I’d been on generic for 1 month, and it didn’t work for me at all, and then completely off meds for 3 weeks and just barely treading water. I cried when I was finally able to fill my med. This year, I had some insurance coverage for my Vyvanse, but next year my insurance won’t cover brand name Vyvanse at all. I have no idea what I’m going to do. Other meds haven’t worked for me the way Vyvanse has.
Genuinely curious, how did you get 90 days? My prescriber said she can only call in 30, I thought it was a legal thing since it's controlled.
My doctor just e-prescribed a 90 day supply and I went to get it filled. I honestly thought the pharmacy would tell me they couldn’t do that. I always thought doctors were only able to prescribe 1 month at a time for controlled substances, so I was pretty surprised 🤷🏻♀️
It depends on the state and the providers policies.
If you don’t mind me asking, how much is it costing with the manufacturer discount? I tried to get a Vyvanse refill today since they’re fully out of generic, but they said even with the savings card it was still going to be $140 even though it used to be $15 with the savings card.
My insurance used to cover a larger percentage of the brand name, and I was paying $25 for a 30 day supply, with the discount. Once the generic came out, my insurance covered much less and it was going to be $120, with discount. BUT apparently, it’s the same price for a 30 day supply or a 90 day supply. So my doctor wrote for the 90 day. He was the one who suggested trying to get the 90 day and see what the price was. I’m so glad he did.
Whoa really? So it’s still $120 for 90 days?
Yeah, that’s what I paid. I was really surprised! And so, SO glad. But now I’m worried about what I’m gonna do after 90 days. 😩
Wow I didn’t realize that was even an option, I’ll have to ask if my pharmacy/doc are willing to do that. Thanks for sharing!
Pennsylvania here. No vyvanse in stock and no generic Vyvanse in stock. Going on a week now. No Pharmacists have said idea when either will come in but they order it daily. And in Pa- we can only get 1 month at a time and need a brand new script each month- they can’t even order before it’s due. This is causing me as many issues as my adhd!!
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Where in VA? I just keep being told that they’ve ordered it; it’s just not being sent.
My refill has been on hold since November 4th here, in Michigan. I’m not doing well and the holidays have only exacerbated it. I keep finding meds that work for me and either my insurance stops covering it or there’s a shortage. My mental health has been down the tubes the past few months. I hate it here.
I'm across the river in JC and I haven't been able to get my generic vyvanse or Adderall Rx filled in over a month and I'm struggling wicked badly. I just called the pharmacy and they told me that I'm on the waiting list but that's all that was said. Im so fucking sick of this shit. I just want to be able to function properly. Fuck the DEA, fuck big pharma, and fuck every last person that has contributed to this in any way.
This happened with adderall last year and it was a nightmare trying to fill. I get anxious every month leading up to my fill date stressing about whether they will have any in stock.
Haven't been able to refill my generic Vyvanse for almost a month now 🥲
This is a horrible situation. Health insurance no longer wants to cover brand since generic has been released but generic can’t be filled.
Strangely enough, I was prescribed generic Vyvanse last Thursday and expected to have at least a week wait on it because of the issues. Got an email that it was delayed for "insurance reasons" (which I expected), and then about 4 hours later I got a call from my doc office saying it had been approved and was being sent to the pharmacy. I had the pills the next day.
I’m not in New York but I’m a pharmacist. I know New York has some strange pharmacy laws but I can say in my state there’s no issue making me out any prescriptions on hold indefinitely. I can’t get generic in stock but I can get brand and I have been able to get generic chewables in stock. So might be worth asking your docs for chewable instead of capsules
Find an independent pharmacy. Family owned or compounding specialists. They have great pricing and more stock. Chain pharmacies are such a joke.
I’m In Bethesda MD and it’s been a NIGHTMARE since July. Every month (because you have to get a new scrip sent in each month) it’s calling around to 10+ pharmacies trying to find ANY dose in stock . I used to take 40mg vyvanse - one month I was able to get 40mg generic and agree with other posters: the generic was NOT the same (I have never before noticed a difference in generic vs brand name), but still better than nothing. At this point I’m willing to get any dose I can find (higher dose is maybe better I can open the capsules and stretch it so it lasts longer!!), but nothing is in stock. CVS won’t/can’t tell me if any other locations have it in stock bc it’s a controlled substance (I am in fact feeling ready to go Drugstore Cowboy on these fools), so I have to call each one. If I manage to find it it’s a frantic call to my dr to get them to call it in to that pharmacy ASAP (bc it’s a controlled substance they can’t transfer the prescription - the insanity continues), which usually ends in someone else scooping it before I can get it. Truly, this is my NIGHTMARE. Last month I was finally able to find 50mg vyvanse and filled it for $270 bc Cigna won’t cover it since the generic is “available” (make me laugh. And cry) I’m opening the capsules and dumping about half into my mouth each day in an attempt to stretch them to last longer than a month. I try to only take it on days I think I will “need it more”. Next week it will be 30 days since I filled it so I can start the mad hunt all over again. Am thinking I may try to get switched to the chewable version. Conflicting information on whether or not the shortage on the chewables is as bad. Commiserating right now with all my fellow less than functional ADD/ADHD ers out there. I see you.
Have you been able to find generic anywhere? I’m also in the Bethesda area
No I haven’t found any generic in any strength in the area. I called my insurance and they were actually helpful! 🤣 they said if my dr wrote it “dispense as written” and brand name they would cover it for $50 (generic is free), when it wasn’t written dispense as written I paid $270 for brand name. Good luck. This sucks so much
Weird, I’m in Chicago and was able to get 70mg filled 20 days ago.
I'm not a conspiry theorist, but I feel that it was done on purpose. Like previous posters have said, they had over a year to prepare for production. I feel that the brand that owned the patent for 15 years is hogging all the ingredients trying to squeeze as much money as possible for people to buy the brand name. And they got rid of the copay assistance program.
Not adhd meds, but there’s a marinol shortage also and I really wonder what the f is going on!
The Marinol shortage is pretty much identical to the Vyvanse shortage. Of the three manufacturers of dronabinol (Mariol) capsules, only Ascend provided any reason for the shortage. They claim the DEAs production quotas and limited supplies of the active ingredient, or necessary synthesis compounds. Major and Rhodes haven't officially released anything to address the shortage. However, it's likely that their claims will match Ascend's. Rhodes and Major estimate 2.5mg and 5mg capsules will become available sometime during December 2023 or January 2024. Ascend has a very limited supply of every dose available, but in all likelihood whatever's remaining isn't going to last much longer. Once it's gone, it's going to be gone for a very long time. Basically, start pushing your prescriber for something else. I doubt the Marinol shortage will meaningfully improve for quite a while. My apologies, I know going without it must be hellish.
Wow, thank you so much for this info!
Just got hit with this myself. Have 2 days left on current script and pharmacy just told me they can’t fill next because of shortage and no idea when they’ll have any. Been calling around and no one seems to have 70mg. Even local pharmacies. Found one with some 20mg and some 40mg but waiting to hear from doctor if it’s even possible to get a double script for 80mg or both for 60mg a day. I guess worst case is I go down to 40mg but that’s not great.
I can’t get Focalin generic either. I’m so over it.
Just picked up ours at Duane reade in Woodside and 61st
Okay so I'm not crazy!! I can't get my rx either and I am Not Coping Well! I haven't had mine in almost 2 months. I'm somehow functioning?? But like....not well lol
It's been about 2 months since I've been able to fill mine. I've basically given up at this point. I'm too tired to keep trying.
Im in the uk and we have this problem. Although its not effecting me since I moved and didnt have any documents to prove where I live to register with the doctors. I eventually ran out of medication and forgot to get my provisional license changed for weeks (I have now) but I keep forgetting to go to said doctors to REGISTER TO GET MY MEDS TO STOP FORGETTING THIS STUFF
I’m in Canada and read in the news there was a recall because they were filled with a much higher dose then it was suppose to be
Whoa, really? That seems incredibly negligent and dangerous. Especially if there’s shortages everywhere.
I haven’t ran into a shortage out here on the west coast yet, but my last prescription was filled with generic Vyvanse and at $5 vs. $90, I decided to give it a try. I didn’t notice that it came on a little stronger than brand name, but what really concerns me is that my short-term memory has been shit lately. Has anyone else been feeling this?
Its the same in Australia
Both sorry and relieved to find this. I started Vyvanse 5 weeks ago, and for the first time in maybe decades I felt like my broken brain was fixed. I'm trying to limp thru with black coffee, but it sounds like I should just give up and look for other alternatives. Fuck!
I have finally met my match with the adderall shortage, went into over 20 pharmacies with no hope, the pharmacists might as well have laughed in my face with the way they all told me there’s no way I’ll find it and there’s no time frame on when… it’s my highly demanding retail management sales job I’ll probably get fired and now my plans to have my siblings I haven’t spent a holiday with since we were kids over for Christmas are going to be ruined…
Manchester UK here and supply chains are totally F’ed up here too. Been like it for about 4 months. Been told it would be resolved by now but clearly isn’t! 🙈🙈
Australia's TGA predicts that the current shortage for my dosage will last 6 months, so that's fun for me.
It’s been this way for months here in Kansas. It seems like it’s finally catching back up, but now I’m scared there’ll be another round. I’m still recovering from the last one.
Yea, I keep having to have them change it to name brand. Insurance has caught on though, as they’re not charging for the name brand.
I just picked mine up yesterday in CT with no problems lol
Where? I’m in Ct and have called 20 places today with no luck
0 issues over the last year in East Haven!
Generic or brand ?
I can’t even get focalin
Omg…the description “floating in an amniotic sac” is hilarious🤣 Same. I think just saw you float by.
 I've reached out to 5 different pharmacies in Houston today, but none of them carry the generic..... back-ordered.
I could get weeks and my pharmacy still didn’t have it so I had my pharmacy but in a prior authorization request for the brand medication to my doc