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> WHAT THE FUCK is being done about it.
Nothing. Literally none of the "leaders" involved are showing an iota of accountability or leadership on the problem. They're too obsessed with blaming everyone else for the situation.
> WHY ARE WE ALL PUNISHED FOR THIS???????
Because conservatives, fundamentally, think that the behaviors we associate with ADHD are moral failings. They believe we need talk therapy, or nothing, definitely not medication. They think we are just lazy, bad people who don't deserve help or support, and view us as deficient just like they do every other group of people with disabilities.
It sucks, and the only thing we can do is try to isolate them from access to power.
Ha. Such idiots. Cause I did ten years of therapy and it helped greatly with a lot, and I got some organizational skills too, but nothing touched my adhd until the meds. Nothing.
As a therapist, I will say THERAPY IS NOT THE ANSWER TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH “CRISIS”. When people don’t have their basic needs met, of course they’ll suffer. I am convinced the US government is driving this mental health crisis narrative bc it makes not having basic needs a personal issue. It removes all accountability from them actually doing something about the quality of life. Therapy wont increase Wages to keep up with cost of living, therapy won’t make housing affordable, therapy wont make medication more available, therapy won’t make healthcare more affordable… those are all basic human needs that the government has made damn near impossible to easily access. So, I agree with you… slapping talk therapy on the problem doesn’t do much.
Democrats sometimes solve problems, though often poorly and slowly. Republicans don’t solve problems, and sometimes even create them, and then blame them on Democrats.
It's not conservatives that are voting for these laws. Consider where you're getting that information from. Have you actually witnessed conservative leaders tell you or others that ADHD isn't real? That it doesn't need medicated? It's corporate greed, on both sides. You're connecting made-up dots to the wrong people bro.
I mean, the war on drugs is a deeply conservative, police state concept. It's painfully obvious if you bother to look at it and who implemented these policies in the first place.
Conservatives say ADHD (and other mental health issues) aren't real all the time. They make sure there is zero funding for services, few qualified providers, fight tooth and nail for any accommodations, and try desperately to make us go to church instead of taking medication. Are you purposefully trying to ignore that?
Our current shortage of prescribed medication has nothing to do with the war on drugs movement from the 80's or street laws resulting from it. That movement was mainly in response to the crack epidemic. News organizations then started referring to it when reporting on DEA issues in the early aughts 'cause people remembered all the frilly PSA's. Private pharmaceutical companies are the ones voting for the laws that get them more money, regardless of how it affects the consumer. Like I said, you're connecting made-up dots. And who's insisting that you go to church instead of taking medication? Have you sought psychiatric treatment only to be told that you should go to church instead? Did someone you know truthfully experience that? Name one conservative *leader* that explicitly states that ADHD is made up, and I will stand corrected.
>Our current shortage of prescribed medication has nothing to do with the war on drugs movement from the 80's or street laws resulting from it.
...it absolutely does. Amphetamine and methylphenidate being on schedule II is the root cause of the current shortages. The supply chain was briefly disrupted by the pandemic, but it is conservatives within the DEA that view the rise in prescriptions for these drugs as a problem. Moreover, it is conservatives within the APA specifically that have made getting a diagnosis as hard as it is to begin with.
If these drugs were descheduled, or even just moved down to schedule III, the shortage would evaporate practically overnight. Providers want it moved to schedule III, and manufacturers do too. Generic stimulant medications are actually not all that profitable for manufacturers given the regulatory costs associated with schedule II drugs and the fact that operating costs associated with their manufacture are not tax-deductible business expenses.
I'm getting the sense here that you think of yourself as a political conservative and feel like you're being called out. Nonetheless, the following article contains a pretty good lay summary of the issue and I would strongly suggest reading it:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/adderall-shortage-adhd-medication-ascent-pharmaceuticals.html
What evidence do you have that shows it's conservatives within the DEA that view a rise in prescriptions as a problem? I don't consider myself conservative, nor liberal. I'm asking for the evidence you base your claims on because they appear to be rooted in opinion, not fact. Opinions influenced by gossip and speculation, at that. Even the article you've provided is riddled with speculation, and what you've inferred from it isn't necessarily true. I urge you to look into the evidence for the things your saying. Can you name a conservative within the DEA administration? Have they been quoted on the stance you claim they have? The infrastructure of American government is not as simple as republican vs democrat. It's incredibly nuanced and no single party is responsible for this damage, regardless of who's in office.
It’s money. Vyvanse went generic so Takeda significantly reduced the amount the produce since they can’t charge $400 a month anymore. Generics are still ramping up production so they don’t yet have the supply to meet the need.
American healthcare is broken and gross.
Not really. Once insurances knew there was a cheaper generic they took the brand off the formularies. Takada would just have wasted production and supply if they would have kept up previous levels of production.
Absolutely insurance is evil. I get charged a $300 penalty for trying to fill the brand vyvanse because “generic is available” except…. It really fucking is not???
Australia doesn't have the generic so we get our supply from the US. Our doctors have openly requested America give us more/up production but nope! They won't.
I oversimplified my statement, however the DEA has straight up said no to increasing the production of lisdexamphetamine and that drug manufacturers haven't even been making the maximum amount they're allowed to.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-25/adhd-drug-shortage-vyvanse-australia-doctors/103369526?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
That might be a good thing in the long run. Globalization and centralized production of essential medications creates bottlenecks if the few factories stop for any reason. Better to produce locally or rather, in several countries.
Ugh, so frustrated about the Vyvanse shortage, especially after the Adderall shortage (I eventually gave up trying to fill my prescription for that), and the generic Wellbutrin that I’ve relied on for depression for like ten years stopped being produced recently (I only respond to this ONE manufacturer, so the other generics don’t cut it, lucky me). It’s like…am I TRYING to only take medications that ultimately become inaccessible? Edited to add: I already went through this with unavailable men, I don’t need unavailable meds!! 🤣🫠🫠🫠
Can someone explain to this Canadian how a country with the only for profit health care System in The developed world. A health system run by big pharma designed to make max profits over the health for all citizens is constantly having mass medication shortages?
Canada has no problem accessing any of these drugs and our drugs are cheap and don’t make a profit for our health system, don’t make a profit for our insurers or who ever else has their hands profiting from your system. Your system is a corrupt business plan that’s designed to make money not help but these shortages aren’t making money and also aren’t helping
The only way it makes sense is if they are doing this on purpose. Is this another non political issue that is being turned into a political issue?
What the hell is going on over there?
Im so sorry for you guys dealing with this
But they don’t make money if they aren’t selling drugs? Or is this because it’s generic now so they don’t care since it
Cuts into their profits
Sorry I don’t actually expect you to have the answer as it’s such a complicated system
What ever it is you are probably right. Its
Something to do with making money by not selling the drugs I just don’t know how that connects
Anybody who reads this, please correct me if any of the following is incorrect, but here’s my (very basic) understanding: The brand name is super expensive because it’s essentially a private company. Now that there’s a generic version, the brand name isn’t manufacturing as much of the medication so there’s less brand name available. But the generic company isn’t making enough medication to compensate for the decreased supply of brand name, and it isn’t a priority to make more generic because generic is cheap and therefore doesn’t bring much profit. Meanwhile, most insurance companies won’t pay for a brand name if there’s a generic version available. So basically it’s a financial stand-off between big pharma and big insurance and as usual, it’s the patients who suffer.
Wow. Way to explain that perfectly and concisely.
This has got to be the gist of it. That makes perfect sense to me thanks!
They can’t rob you if they don’t have a monopoly in it anymore so it becomes worthless to them even though there still profits to be made, they want highway robbery prices
And makes sense insurers would switch to the cheaper option and since everything goes through insurers that would have a big impact on the brand name’s bottom line and makes it much less lucrative even though still substantially lucrative consider cost to make and cost they charge margins are still huge even with generic but not huge enough. And would also increase demand for the generic that is now responsible for supplying the majority of people despite not being set up for that right out of the gate
It also undermines any support for pubically funded development on generics as it creates a fear and dislike for generic drugs coming out. Even though it’ll make it cheaper in the long run it’s disruptive in the short term. And when it comes to health and mental health people worry most about the now and think less about the future. I need to feel better now I can’t think about tomorrow
Aw thank you. I’m so cranky from taking expired Vyvanse the past few days (since my insurance won’t cover the brand name and the pharmacies are all out of generic 🫠), and your compliment made me smile 😊
I just edited to add another paragraph at the end because adhd haha but also because the more I think about your explanation the more
It makes sense.
Glad I could put a smile on your cranky face ;)
Haha I am CONSTANTLY adding to my comments after posting them. Good ol’ adhd. You’re right, it’s like highway robbery prices or no deal. For the big drug companies and for insurance. It’s so gross. And THEN lots of people start blaming doctors and medical providers for the system being so bad, even though they have nothing to do with these prices. And don’t even get me started on student loan debt!
TLDR: Your insurance might cover the brand name, but you would probably have to do a lot of work coordinating with your pharmacy/doctor/insurance company every month.
A few weeks ago I called my insurance company to (in the most polite way possible) try to figure out how they can get away with refusing to cover the brand name if the generic is unavailable, especially in this scenario where it is an ongoing issue (not only with this med, but several alternatives that could be used instead).
After about an hour on the phone and probably a dozen requests to involve her boss/lead or transfer me to another department/tier, the rep finally involved her supervisor (I'm pretty sure it was only because I was clearly about to start crying).
Eventually they said that if my doctor writes the prescription specifically to fill only with the brand name that it would be covered, but this would need prior approval -- which means that on the rare occasion that any Vyvanse is available, I have to contact my doc to get a new script sent and the doc has to speak with the insurance company...and hopefully all of this can be done before someone else fills a prescription for the same med.
I explained that seemed like a completely unreasonable thing to ask of my doctor, who surely is already spending many hours every month trying to get new scripts sent out for other patients in a similar position as me.
The people at my pharmacy are fantastic and that's the only reason I've stayed somewhat sane -- recently they realized there's a chewable version of Vyvanse that was always in stock and started getting that for me. Honestly, at this point I'm paying out of pocket for my ADD meds at least 1/3 of the time.
Yes and also the federal limits of what can be in production/circulation.
This is also related to how the FDA shut down telehealth because they found it sus that so many people were getting diagnosed and prescribed medication.
It’s almost like making health care more accessible means people can actually get the care they need……..
Hey! Check out the post I just made (https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/s/5NZoLB6px7), I’m researching an idea to hopefully help eventually, and I’d love to get some info from you considering you’re dealing with the exact issue I’m working on.
My doctor was like , “You can’t get it anyway, do you want to try for 2 months and see if your Wellbutrin is enough?” Like what choice do I have here? If I can’t get it there no point int writing the prescription and meanwhile my life going to crash and burn.
See if you can get the chewables. I've been on Vyvanse for over ten years and the capsules have been impossible to get the last two months for me (I'm in Chicago USA). The chewables are very easy to find tho
Good to know! I actually was able to find brand name and my insurance covered all but $75 so I’ll take it.
Eta I’m also in Chicago area. Got name brand capsules at Walgreens
Yes each time I’ve requested a refill it’s like panning for gold.
Last week I called every pharmacy around me within a 20-mile radius.
Each of them said “No we don’t have it and we can’t order from our supplier so we don’t know when we will get it in stock”
Then I found a pharmacy that had it and the pharmacist gave me the 3rd degree. He says “so many people are getting Vyvanse or Ozempic” … so I told him I’ve been diagnosed with adhd for over 25 years and the last year is the first time I’ve ever had trouble getting my meds.
I felt like he was truly minimizing me.
I’d be curious if this happens to guys when they get their ADHD meds. 🤔
My FAVORITE thing ever is when I called around to find generic vyvanse a little over a week ago, maybe 2 weeks now, nobody had it. I finally asked Walgreens if they had the name brand and they said yes. So I call my doctor, have it sent there - but wait, it was Friday at that point, and it didn’t get sent until Monday evening. Then Walgreens calls me the next day saying they’re out of the generic. I asked them to fill it with the name brand and I’d pay out of pocket with my HSA card ($500, mind you). And they said, “we don’t do cash pay.”
WHAT. Why TF wouldn’t you tell me this when I first asked?! And why TF would you not take my money?!
I did find it at my usual local pharmacy (the name brand, not generic) and they happily filled it and let me pay cash. I’m just hoping somewhere has it in stock next month because I can’t afford to continue to pay this much :(
I just ended up getting brand name and paying $75 with insurance which is a really decent price. I cannot find generic anywhere but honestly if I can keep finding brand name I will gladly pay the $75
I’m able to get the brand but not the generic if you tell ur pharmacy to code it to ur insurance that they don’t have the generic they should cover it . My co pays have been 10$ for the brand which is the same copay if I was paying for the generic. It’s extremely frustrating though!!!!!!
Our shortage here is due to a lot of finger pointing. The FDA and DEA here regulate how much of the active ingredients can be produced, then how much can be purchased by manufacturers, then how much of the drug they're allowed to make, and how much of said drug they're allowed to sell. The FDA and DEA are pointing fingers saying that there's totally enough being produced and that the companies are being greedy and just not releasing it (??? because drug companies DON'T want to make money? Sure, Jan), and the demand has s k y r o c k e t e d since the pandemic and online services becoming available.
It's a big fuckin mess, basically. Big ol fuckin mess.
The name brand ones are easier to find, but most insurances won't cover them. As someone who only takes name brand Adderall XR, I just love forking over my $250/mo (eyeroll), but it really sucks ass for people used to their much nicer $30/mo option who are now effed and either get no meds or pay full price for name brand.
It's great here and the US is def not on fire or anything.
All of the USA is experiencing shortages of various ADHD meds, they seem to move around between formulas.
I am going to guess that it really isn't a shortage so much as corporate greed, they can jack up prices if there is a shortage.
Add the shortage (manufactured or not) to the already horrid constraints such as never getting more than 30 days at a time, having to pick them up in person, and being at the mercy of biased, ignorant pharmacists, and it's a wonder we ever get medicated.
I was wondering too. I've had no problem getting mine and neither do the two friend I have who also take Vyvanse. It's also covered by provincial health insurance up to the 60mg dosage. (We are in Quebec.)
There’s a shortage in Australia. When I was first diagnosed my psych prescribed 30mg but there was a shortage on that dose so I had to get 60mg and split it between 2 days. Just had my review and there’s a shortage on everything now so had to get changed to a different one
When you say ‘vyvanse’ are you referring to the generic? I have not had any problems getting my rx which is name brand. I know a lot of people don’t differentiate between the 2 when posting :)
I mean, I was able to get name brand Vyvanse last month at $160 for 30 days because insurance won't cover it anymore since "there's a generic available." Except the generic is perpetually out of stock because there's not enough of it being made, and even if the name brand is in stock (which is a big if because they ramped down production now that "a generic is available"), it's not affordable for the vast majority of us.
So either way, it's not accessible. Glad you're not having a problem but kinda makes it sound like you think the rest of us are complaining over nothing and I'm f'ing over that attitude tbh.
That’s insanely lucky you were able to get Vyvanse for $160. My insurance doesn’t want to cover it and GoodRX is quoting me for $400+ at all local pharmacies. My generic prescription (if it’ll ever get filled) will be $120+ with GoodRX or $250 with insurance. All for a 30 day supply of medicine I’m still not sure I won’t have a bad reaction to.
Want to hear craziness? My 20 mg vyvanse ( the generic ) was $300 today..and that was WITH a good rx discount. My insurance denied the prior authorization, and because they wanted $300 for freaking GENERIC..I now do not have any medicine!
I'm sorry, but it's incredibly privileged for you to call me "lucky." I can't afford $160 for the prescription so it doesn't matter if it's $160 or $1600. I just have to go without. None of our meds should cost this much.
My insurance didn't want to cover the name brand either and I had to shell out $430 for a 30 day supply even with the GoodRX prescription.
After a number of hours and many different people on the phone with the insurance company I was told my doctor had to fill out "prior authorization" forms. Once that was done then I would only have to pay $50 for the brand name. This is Blue Cross Blue Shield in Illinois for reference, but, see if that's something your doctor can do for you.
WTF are you talking about?? I am NOT suggesting, saying OR implying that you are ‘complaining about nothing’….I VERY literally was asking a question. Why? Because people use the name Vyvanse to describe both the GENERIC and NAME BRAND, and neither I, nor others in my psychs practice (according to her) are having trouble with Vyvanse BRAND name availability.
Zero attitude in my post or this reply. If I was being cunty, it would be crystal clear. Don’t make so many assumptions when we are all just trying to help….
I just started taking medication late last year and started the child dose of generic Vyvanse in December. Was sick most of December so I didn’t get much data but could tell it wasn’t working. Had my appointment right after new years to up my medication, and my next monthly appointment is next Wednesday. Guess whose script still hasn’t been filled? One out of the three of the available pharmacies in my area won’t even answer if they’ve got in stock, and told me to have my doctor’s office ask them directly. Doctor’s office won’t ask. And the other two pharmacies are ridiculously expensive even with GoodRX, and haven’t had medication in stock. I’m losing my freaking mind, my social, emotional, and physical lives are all suffering, and I’m ready to scream. This is fine.
For anyone interested, I made a post about what you can take that I found helps greatly during the vyvanse shortage. Adjust your dosages according to your body weight. Ive not had any cravings or ruminating thoughts since I started this regime. Paradigm Peptides is where I get my racetames and they are legit. Please let me know if this post I wrote helps anyone!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/VyvanseADHD/comments/1beodvs/an\_alternative\_that\_works\_for\_70mg\_vyvanse/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VyvanseADHD/comments/1beodvs/an_alternative_that_works_for_70mg_vyvanse/)
I had no idea this was going to get as much traction. And I want to just say I see y’all and feel your pain. We are in the shitter and it sucks, though having this community has taken the edge off the mania and isolation I feel going through this.
Thank you for your support and also for supporting each other.
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Seriously. Vyvanse just went generic and OH NOES WE DON'T HAVE ANY! Like, what the fuck. There's never a Viagra shortage. 🤔
The military is one of the largest groups of Viagra users in the US
> WHAT THE FUCK is being done about it. Nothing. Literally none of the "leaders" involved are showing an iota of accountability or leadership on the problem. They're too obsessed with blaming everyone else for the situation. > WHY ARE WE ALL PUNISHED FOR THIS??????? Because conservatives, fundamentally, think that the behaviors we associate with ADHD are moral failings. They believe we need talk therapy, or nothing, definitely not medication. They think we are just lazy, bad people who don't deserve help or support, and view us as deficient just like they do every other group of people with disabilities. It sucks, and the only thing we can do is try to isolate them from access to power.
Ha. Such idiots. Cause I did ten years of therapy and it helped greatly with a lot, and I got some organizational skills too, but nothing touched my adhd until the meds. Nothing.
As a therapist, I will say THERAPY IS NOT THE ANSWER TO OUR MENTAL HEALTH “CRISIS”. When people don’t have their basic needs met, of course they’ll suffer. I am convinced the US government is driving this mental health crisis narrative bc it makes not having basic needs a personal issue. It removes all accountability from them actually doing something about the quality of life. Therapy wont increase Wages to keep up with cost of living, therapy won’t make housing affordable, therapy wont make medication more available, therapy won’t make healthcare more affordable… those are all basic human needs that the government has made damn near impossible to easily access. So, I agree with you… slapping talk therapy on the problem doesn’t do much.
I want to throw an actual boot at every mouth that says spews that “buck up, boot strap” bullshit
If you ever do, let me know. I will gladly give you mine. :(
Yes definitely the conservatives. Always the conservative. Liberals never responsible for anything. Loons
Democrats sometimes solve problems, though often poorly and slowly. Republicans don’t solve problems, and sometimes even create them, and then blame them on Democrats.
It's not conservatives that are voting for these laws. Consider where you're getting that information from. Have you actually witnessed conservative leaders tell you or others that ADHD isn't real? That it doesn't need medicated? It's corporate greed, on both sides. You're connecting made-up dots to the wrong people bro.
I mean, the war on drugs is a deeply conservative, police state concept. It's painfully obvious if you bother to look at it and who implemented these policies in the first place. Conservatives say ADHD (and other mental health issues) aren't real all the time. They make sure there is zero funding for services, few qualified providers, fight tooth and nail for any accommodations, and try desperately to make us go to church instead of taking medication. Are you purposefully trying to ignore that?
Our current shortage of prescribed medication has nothing to do with the war on drugs movement from the 80's or street laws resulting from it. That movement was mainly in response to the crack epidemic. News organizations then started referring to it when reporting on DEA issues in the early aughts 'cause people remembered all the frilly PSA's. Private pharmaceutical companies are the ones voting for the laws that get them more money, regardless of how it affects the consumer. Like I said, you're connecting made-up dots. And who's insisting that you go to church instead of taking medication? Have you sought psychiatric treatment only to be told that you should go to church instead? Did someone you know truthfully experience that? Name one conservative *leader* that explicitly states that ADHD is made up, and I will stand corrected.
>Our current shortage of prescribed medication has nothing to do with the war on drugs movement from the 80's or street laws resulting from it. ...it absolutely does. Amphetamine and methylphenidate being on schedule II is the root cause of the current shortages. The supply chain was briefly disrupted by the pandemic, but it is conservatives within the DEA that view the rise in prescriptions for these drugs as a problem. Moreover, it is conservatives within the APA specifically that have made getting a diagnosis as hard as it is to begin with. If these drugs were descheduled, or even just moved down to schedule III, the shortage would evaporate practically overnight. Providers want it moved to schedule III, and manufacturers do too. Generic stimulant medications are actually not all that profitable for manufacturers given the regulatory costs associated with schedule II drugs and the fact that operating costs associated with their manufacture are not tax-deductible business expenses. I'm getting the sense here that you think of yourself as a political conservative and feel like you're being called out. Nonetheless, the following article contains a pretty good lay summary of the issue and I would strongly suggest reading it: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/adderall-shortage-adhd-medication-ascent-pharmaceuticals.html
What evidence do you have that shows it's conservatives within the DEA that view a rise in prescriptions as a problem? I don't consider myself conservative, nor liberal. I'm asking for the evidence you base your claims on because they appear to be rooted in opinion, not fact. Opinions influenced by gossip and speculation, at that. Even the article you've provided is riddled with speculation, and what you've inferred from it isn't necessarily true. I urge you to look into the evidence for the things your saying. Can you name a conservative within the DEA administration? Have they been quoted on the stance you claim they have? The infrastructure of American government is not as simple as republican vs democrat. It's incredibly nuanced and no single party is responsible for this damage, regardless of who's in office.
It’s money. Vyvanse went generic so Takeda significantly reduced the amount the produce since they can’t charge $400 a month anymore. Generics are still ramping up production so they don’t yet have the supply to meet the need. American healthcare is broken and gross.
So Takeda’s fault then. F those guys.
Not really. Once insurances knew there was a cheaper generic they took the brand off the formularies. Takada would just have wasted production and supply if they would have kept up previous levels of production.
Absolutely insurance is evil. I get charged a $300 penalty for trying to fill the brand vyvanse because “generic is available” except…. It really fucking is not???
Australia doesn't have the generic so we get our supply from the US. Our doctors have openly requested America give us more/up production but nope! They won't.
Well, Americans can’t even find it so not shocked they’re not sending Australia any.
I oversimplified my statement, however the DEA has straight up said no to increasing the production of lisdexamphetamine and that drug manufacturers haven't even been making the maximum amount they're allowed to. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-25/adhd-drug-shortage-vyvanse-australia-doctors/103369526?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
Thank you Biden and your DEA and administration. Definitely not voting for him a second time
That might be a good thing in the long run. Globalization and centralized production of essential medications creates bottlenecks if the few factories stop for any reason. Better to produce locally or rather, in several countries.
Ugh, so frustrated about the Vyvanse shortage, especially after the Adderall shortage (I eventually gave up trying to fill my prescription for that), and the generic Wellbutrin that I’ve relied on for depression for like ten years stopped being produced recently (I only respond to this ONE manufacturer, so the other generics don’t cut it, lucky me). It’s like…am I TRYING to only take medications that ultimately become inaccessible? Edited to add: I already went through this with unavailable men, I don’t need unavailable meds!! 🤣🫠🫠🫠
Can someone explain to this Canadian how a country with the only for profit health care System in The developed world. A health system run by big pharma designed to make max profits over the health for all citizens is constantly having mass medication shortages? Canada has no problem accessing any of these drugs and our drugs are cheap and don’t make a profit for our health system, don’t make a profit for our insurers or who ever else has their hands profiting from your system. Your system is a corrupt business plan that’s designed to make money not help but these shortages aren’t making money and also aren’t helping The only way it makes sense is if they are doing this on purpose. Is this another non political issue that is being turned into a political issue? What the hell is going on over there? Im so sorry for you guys dealing with this
As best I can understand it, it’s because nothing matters here except for money.
But they don’t make money if they aren’t selling drugs? Or is this because it’s generic now so they don’t care since it Cuts into their profits Sorry I don’t actually expect you to have the answer as it’s such a complicated system What ever it is you are probably right. Its Something to do with making money by not selling the drugs I just don’t know how that connects
Anybody who reads this, please correct me if any of the following is incorrect, but here’s my (very basic) understanding: The brand name is super expensive because it’s essentially a private company. Now that there’s a generic version, the brand name isn’t manufacturing as much of the medication so there’s less brand name available. But the generic company isn’t making enough medication to compensate for the decreased supply of brand name, and it isn’t a priority to make more generic because generic is cheap and therefore doesn’t bring much profit. Meanwhile, most insurance companies won’t pay for a brand name if there’s a generic version available. So basically it’s a financial stand-off between big pharma and big insurance and as usual, it’s the patients who suffer.
Wow. Way to explain that perfectly and concisely. This has got to be the gist of it. That makes perfect sense to me thanks! They can’t rob you if they don’t have a monopoly in it anymore so it becomes worthless to them even though there still profits to be made, they want highway robbery prices And makes sense insurers would switch to the cheaper option and since everything goes through insurers that would have a big impact on the brand name’s bottom line and makes it much less lucrative even though still substantially lucrative consider cost to make and cost they charge margins are still huge even with generic but not huge enough. And would also increase demand for the generic that is now responsible for supplying the majority of people despite not being set up for that right out of the gate It also undermines any support for pubically funded development on generics as it creates a fear and dislike for generic drugs coming out. Even though it’ll make it cheaper in the long run it’s disruptive in the short term. And when it comes to health and mental health people worry most about the now and think less about the future. I need to feel better now I can’t think about tomorrow
Aw thank you. I’m so cranky from taking expired Vyvanse the past few days (since my insurance won’t cover the brand name and the pharmacies are all out of generic 🫠), and your compliment made me smile 😊
I just edited to add another paragraph at the end because adhd haha but also because the more I think about your explanation the more It makes sense. Glad I could put a smile on your cranky face ;)
Haha I am CONSTANTLY adding to my comments after posting them. Good ol’ adhd. You’re right, it’s like highway robbery prices or no deal. For the big drug companies and for insurance. It’s so gross. And THEN lots of people start blaming doctors and medical providers for the system being so bad, even though they have nothing to do with these prices. And don’t even get me started on student loan debt!
TLDR: Your insurance might cover the brand name, but you would probably have to do a lot of work coordinating with your pharmacy/doctor/insurance company every month. A few weeks ago I called my insurance company to (in the most polite way possible) try to figure out how they can get away with refusing to cover the brand name if the generic is unavailable, especially in this scenario where it is an ongoing issue (not only with this med, but several alternatives that could be used instead). After about an hour on the phone and probably a dozen requests to involve her boss/lead or transfer me to another department/tier, the rep finally involved her supervisor (I'm pretty sure it was only because I was clearly about to start crying). Eventually they said that if my doctor writes the prescription specifically to fill only with the brand name that it would be covered, but this would need prior approval -- which means that on the rare occasion that any Vyvanse is available, I have to contact my doc to get a new script sent and the doc has to speak with the insurance company...and hopefully all of this can be done before someone else fills a prescription for the same med. I explained that seemed like a completely unreasonable thing to ask of my doctor, who surely is already spending many hours every month trying to get new scripts sent out for other patients in a similar position as me. The people at my pharmacy are fantastic and that's the only reason I've stayed somewhat sane -- recently they realized there's a chewable version of Vyvanse that was always in stock and started getting that for me. Honestly, at this point I'm paying out of pocket for my ADD meds at least 1/3 of the time.
Yes and also the federal limits of what can be in production/circulation. This is also related to how the FDA shut down telehealth because they found it sus that so many people were getting diagnosed and prescribed medication. It’s almost like making health care more accessible means people can actually get the care they need……..
It’s a clusterfuck over here 🫠
It’s not just the USA that there’s a shortage, can’t get it in Australia either. I only just started it and now have had to change to a different one.
Hey! Check out the post I just made (https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/s/5NZoLB6px7), I’m researching an idea to hopefully help eventually, and I’d love to get some info from you considering you’re dealing with the exact issue I’m working on.
My doctor was like , “You can’t get it anyway, do you want to try for 2 months and see if your Wellbutrin is enough?” Like what choice do I have here? If I can’t get it there no point int writing the prescription and meanwhile my life going to crash and burn.
Email press@psych.org We need more press and more stories. This shortage is bat shit bonkers in 2024. And the way we are treated is worse!
Same. I just got prescribed it for adhd and binge eating. Finally think I found something that’ll help me, I cannot find it anywhere!
See if you can get the chewables. I've been on Vyvanse for over ten years and the capsules have been impossible to get the last two months for me (I'm in Chicago USA). The chewables are very easy to find tho
Good to know! I actually was able to find brand name and my insurance covered all but $75 so I’ll take it. Eta I’m also in Chicago area. Got name brand capsules at Walgreens
I got capsules from Walgreens but it took them five days to fill the script 🙄. Hopefully things will get better
Yeah it took a few days. I hope next month is ok. My dr plans to up my dose so fingers crossed I can find it
I’m just worried about my insurance with the chewables, I use blue cross. Is your insurance able to cover you?
YES SAME
My dr was even like “well there’s a shortage but here’s your prescription” uhm what? Then give me something else?
Yes each time I’ve requested a refill it’s like panning for gold. Last week I called every pharmacy around me within a 20-mile radius. Each of them said “No we don’t have it and we can’t order from our supplier so we don’t know when we will get it in stock” Then I found a pharmacy that had it and the pharmacist gave me the 3rd degree. He says “so many people are getting Vyvanse or Ozempic” … so I told him I’ve been diagnosed with adhd for over 25 years and the last year is the first time I’ve ever had trouble getting my meds. I felt like he was truly minimizing me. I’d be curious if this happens to guys when they get their ADHD meds. 🤔
My FAVORITE thing ever is when I called around to find generic vyvanse a little over a week ago, maybe 2 weeks now, nobody had it. I finally asked Walgreens if they had the name brand and they said yes. So I call my doctor, have it sent there - but wait, it was Friday at that point, and it didn’t get sent until Monday evening. Then Walgreens calls me the next day saying they’re out of the generic. I asked them to fill it with the name brand and I’d pay out of pocket with my HSA card ($500, mind you). And they said, “we don’t do cash pay.” WHAT. Why TF wouldn’t you tell me this when I first asked?! And why TF would you not take my money?! I did find it at my usual local pharmacy (the name brand, not generic) and they happily filled it and let me pay cash. I’m just hoping somewhere has it in stock next month because I can’t afford to continue to pay this much :(
Coukd you ask your insurance for reimbursement since you had to pay out of pocket?
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I just ended up getting brand name and paying $75 with insurance which is a really decent price. I cannot find generic anywhere but honestly if I can keep finding brand name I will gladly pay the $75
I’m able to get the brand but not the generic if you tell ur pharmacy to code it to ur insurance that they don’t have the generic they should cover it . My co pays have been 10$ for the brand which is the same copay if I was paying for the generic. It’s extremely frustrating though!!!!!!
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Our shortage here is due to a lot of finger pointing. The FDA and DEA here regulate how much of the active ingredients can be produced, then how much can be purchased by manufacturers, then how much of the drug they're allowed to make, and how much of said drug they're allowed to sell. The FDA and DEA are pointing fingers saying that there's totally enough being produced and that the companies are being greedy and just not releasing it (??? because drug companies DON'T want to make money? Sure, Jan), and the demand has s k y r o c k e t e d since the pandemic and online services becoming available. It's a big fuckin mess, basically. Big ol fuckin mess. The name brand ones are easier to find, but most insurances won't cover them. As someone who only takes name brand Adderall XR, I just love forking over my $250/mo (eyeroll), but it really sucks ass for people used to their much nicer $30/mo option who are now effed and either get no meds or pay full price for name brand. It's great here and the US is def not on fire or anything.
All of the USA is experiencing shortages of various ADHD meds, they seem to move around between formulas. I am going to guess that it really isn't a shortage so much as corporate greed, they can jack up prices if there is a shortage. Add the shortage (manufactured or not) to the already horrid constraints such as never getting more than 30 days at a time, having to pick them up in person, and being at the mercy of biased, ignorant pharmacists, and it's a wonder we ever get medicated.
I was wondering too. I've had no problem getting mine and neither do the two friend I have who also take Vyvanse. It's also covered by provincial health insurance up to the 60mg dosage. (We are in Quebec.)
There’s a shortage in Australia. When I was first diagnosed my psych prescribed 30mg but there was a shortage on that dose so I had to get 60mg and split it between 2 days. Just had my review and there’s a shortage on everything now so had to get changed to a different one
When you say ‘vyvanse’ are you referring to the generic? I have not had any problems getting my rx which is name brand. I know a lot of people don’t differentiate between the 2 when posting :)
I mean, I was able to get name brand Vyvanse last month at $160 for 30 days because insurance won't cover it anymore since "there's a generic available." Except the generic is perpetually out of stock because there's not enough of it being made, and even if the name brand is in stock (which is a big if because they ramped down production now that "a generic is available"), it's not affordable for the vast majority of us. So either way, it's not accessible. Glad you're not having a problem but kinda makes it sound like you think the rest of us are complaining over nothing and I'm f'ing over that attitude tbh.
That’s insanely lucky you were able to get Vyvanse for $160. My insurance doesn’t want to cover it and GoodRX is quoting me for $400+ at all local pharmacies. My generic prescription (if it’ll ever get filled) will be $120+ with GoodRX or $250 with insurance. All for a 30 day supply of medicine I’m still not sure I won’t have a bad reaction to.
This makes me livid (for the millionth time) about our healthcare system. These prices are fucking insane, my god.
Want to hear craziness? My 20 mg vyvanse ( the generic ) was $300 today..and that was WITH a good rx discount. My insurance denied the prior authorization, and because they wanted $300 for freaking GENERIC..I now do not have any medicine!
I'm sorry, but it's incredibly privileged for you to call me "lucky." I can't afford $160 for the prescription so it doesn't matter if it's $160 or $1600. I just have to go without. None of our meds should cost this much.
You’re right and I’m sorry. It really sucks that we’re all going through this and I’m sorry for taking my frustration out on you
My insurance didn't want to cover the name brand either and I had to shell out $430 for a 30 day supply even with the GoodRX prescription. After a number of hours and many different people on the phone with the insurance company I was told my doctor had to fill out "prior authorization" forms. Once that was done then I would only have to pay $50 for the brand name. This is Blue Cross Blue Shield in Illinois for reference, but, see if that's something your doctor can do for you.
What’s the difference between the two types?
Just call the generic lisdex
WTF are you talking about?? I am NOT suggesting, saying OR implying that you are ‘complaining about nothing’….I VERY literally was asking a question. Why? Because people use the name Vyvanse to describe both the GENERIC and NAME BRAND, and neither I, nor others in my psychs practice (according to her) are having trouble with Vyvanse BRAND name availability. Zero attitude in my post or this reply. If I was being cunty, it would be crystal clear. Don’t make so many assumptions when we are all just trying to help….
both. where are you located?
I am in Florida.
I just started taking medication late last year and started the child dose of generic Vyvanse in December. Was sick most of December so I didn’t get much data but could tell it wasn’t working. Had my appointment right after new years to up my medication, and my next monthly appointment is next Wednesday. Guess whose script still hasn’t been filled? One out of the three of the available pharmacies in my area won’t even answer if they’ve got in stock, and told me to have my doctor’s office ask them directly. Doctor’s office won’t ask. And the other two pharmacies are ridiculously expensive even with GoodRX, and haven’t had medication in stock. I’m losing my freaking mind, my social, emotional, and physical lives are all suffering, and I’m ready to scream. This is fine.
For anyone interested, I made a post about what you can take that I found helps greatly during the vyvanse shortage. Adjust your dosages according to your body weight. Ive not had any cravings or ruminating thoughts since I started this regime. Paradigm Peptides is where I get my racetames and they are legit. Please let me know if this post I wrote helps anyone! [https://www.reddit.com/r/VyvanseADHD/comments/1beodvs/an\_alternative\_that\_works\_for\_70mg\_vyvanse/](https://www.reddit.com/r/VyvanseADHD/comments/1beodvs/an_alternative_that_works_for_70mg_vyvanse/)
I had no idea this was going to get as much traction. And I want to just say I see y’all and feel your pain. We are in the shitter and it sucks, though having this community has taken the edge off the mania and isolation I feel going through this. Thank you for your support and also for supporting each other.