National patient safety alert (ADHD medication)
There are supply disruptions affecting various strengths of the following medications which are licensed for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):
- Methylphenidate:*
- Equasym XL® 10, 20 and 30 mg capsules
- Xaggitin XL® 18 and 36 mg prolonged-release tablets
- Concerta XL® 54 mg prolonged-release tablets
- Xenidate XL® 27 mg prolonged-release tablets
- Lisdexamfetamine:
- Elvanse® 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 mg capsules
- Elvanse® Adult 30, 50, and 70 mg capsules
- Guanfacine:
- Intuniv® 1, 2, 3 and 4 mg prolonged-release tablets
The supply disruption of these products is caused by a combination of manufacturing issues and an increased global demand.
While there are other ADHD products, all ADHD medicines are now affected as lack of availability of listed products is having a knock on effect to others.
At present, the supply disruptions are expected to resolve at various dates between October and December 2023.
There may therefore be children and young people who have had to change their medication, may be missing doses as a result of this, or where treatment breaks are planned/ enforced as a result of the current situation which will have an impact on how they are able to manage that is highly likely to impact on how they cope with school.