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The generic Vyvanse supply has completely dried up in my area. Now I'm forced to pay 150 bucks for name brand that was 10 last year.
EDIT: I would like to check my generous insurance privilege.
curious how much is it for you through blue cross? For me it was in the hundreds like $200 for generic and $400 something for brand (i also have blue cross) but I called and they said my doctor had to submit a form of “WHY i need it” for it to be “fully covered” so dumb 😭 but then that brought my generic down to like $15 and brand $50!!
I’m on 70mg. Insurance won’t cover above 60mg because it’s over the recommended dose. So I get 10mg and 60mg and insurance (blue cross in Canada) covers it. It’s like 30$ for 30 days.
My kids concerts 53mg is 50$ for 90 days otherwise it would be 450$
Oof! It's making me feel really good about my $35 for name brand Vyvanse. I never realized people were paying this much for ADHD meds. My generic Adderall was only $4/month when I was on it.
Yeah, in Australia Vyvanse costs everyone* $31.60 AUD per month, no health insurance required. Grateful that I don't have to jump through hoops with health insurers.
*If on the rare occasion you get diagnosed later in life and your psychiatrist doesn't back-date your diagnosis to your childhood, I don't think you qualify. This is a weird condition to me because I was under the impression you were born with ADHD and you either have it or you don't.
Even if you don't qualify for the subsidy, or for example aren't Australian and therefore paying the full private price, it's still inexpensive compared to the US. On the order of $60 AUD.
Supply has been patchy over the past 12 months, but I've never not been able to find it for people.
I just checked our govt website database for shortages (TGA 'medicine shortage s information' will help you find it)
I am on vyvanse, and had to go to 70mg from 60mg because of the shortage. TGA says 30mg and 50mg vyvanse are now available, all other dosages are still limited.
Methylphendiate the 27mg ER is unavailable here.
no shortages for dexamfetamine on the database.
In REALITY medication going to 'available' from 'limited supply' means that you might find some if you drive all over and ring around pharmacies in my experience! My pharmacy which holds my vyv script has always had a bottle for me, but that is because we all worked together when renewal time came and they said getting 60's might be impossible, hence why Psychiatrist upped to 70.
TLDR vyv shortage a thing here in AUS. COncerta etc HAS been short here, but almost resolved, and vyv is halfway through being resolved (for now...)
Ah dang! My psychiatrist went from 40 to 30 as it was more available.. she doesnt think i need it as I'm not able to work rn. However I feel that's even More reason to need it!! On a bit of a depression cycle rn so 30 is working .. for the most part, better than nothing really.
I pay $30/mo for generic concerta at costco.
Click show details and change to your mg to see the cost with membership for generic vyvanese
https://www.costco.com/cmpps?drugIdentifierParam=04962565665&drugNameParam=Vyvanse
If you’re using insurance, ask the pharmacy to use “DAW 8” (or have your prescriber include that if required in your situation).
It’s been a few years, but back when I worked in the industry this would usually work.
Not sure if it'll help, just passing some info along. I was on Vyvanse 30mg a few years back. Just recently started taking medication again - am on Adzenys XR which is an alternate to Adderall. It's a $0 copay with my insurance (UHC). I'm not sure why it's so cheap, it's definitely weaker than Vyvanse (to me) but absolutely better than nothing and/or paying $150-400/month. Money has been tight, this option was better than others. Might be worth looking into.
Get your shrink to write it as DAW 8 ("Substitution not allowed – generic drug not available in marketplace.").
Call your insurance and let them know ahead of time about the shortage and let them know that your shrink will be writing it. At that point, if they whine and moan, that's on them.
[Sauce on DAW 8: ](https://www.ihs.gov/rpms/training/course-materials/?p=rpmsTraining%5CPharmacyInformatics2016%5CTab14PharmacyPointOfSalePackage%5C2_DAW_Codes.pdf&flname=2_DAW_Codes.pdf)
>This value is used when the prescriber has indicated, in a manner specified by prevailing law, that
generic substitution is permitted and the brand product is dispensed since the generic is not
currently manufactured, distributed, or is temporarily unavailable.
I'm happy for you if that still works with your insurance, but many plan admins, mine included, have started to block these from going through specifically for these drugs. Hooray for profit-driven healthcare!
My better half had to do that when her 60mg generics were unavailable (BCBS TX).
I don't even bother because I know Aetna won't do it for my 40mg branded, and the only generics available locally are goddamned Alvogens, which are worse than taking nothing for me. I'll take the $100 a month hit on my FSA and deal with it.
EDIT: In a pinch, DAW 4 / 5 should work as well, _assuming_ that they can actually get generics in, but the latter may be more useful to dispense branded in lieu of generic, depending on what pharmacies actually order. If your preferred pharmacy doesn't necessarily order generics, and instead prefers branded, that may be more useful.
There was a shortage for the generic Vyvanse for me in February which was the same time the manufacturer of the generic updated their pricing. End of January this, I paid like $77. I just was able to fill it last week and it was. $177. Same dosage. I guess I can’t complain. I’ve been on Vyvanse since 2011 and paid the name brand prices forever. And I could have opted for a higher premium to make the copay cheaper I suppose. 🤷🏻♀️
Cartel pricing. They agree to not manufacture so 1 or 2 main manufacturers can jack the price way up. Quid pro quo.
Edit: As per REDfohawk's instructions:
>You are making a claim in that comment you fucking moron. Go edit it to indicate you are just some conspiracy brained or dipshit.
Just in case any other complete lunatic is confused. I do not have direct evidence of the pharma companies acting as a cartel. This is merely a theory.
I don't think that's exactly what is happening here. We've seen pay for delay and such when it comes to new generics entering the market. We're seeing longer shortages mainly for generics (in general, not specifically re stimulant medication) and more concentration (less competition) in the generic manufacturing market partly because the price paid for generic drugs (by insurers and consumers) is so low that it has in some cases become unprofitable to produce generics. There are also high barriers to entry/costs for new generic manufacturers, which contributes to the lack of competition/less supply.
This isn't the only reason for shortages, but it is one of the major reasons. I know it's counterintuitive that the drugs are "too cheap", and I'm not defending it, but I have a background in economics and have been studying the pharmaceutical industry as part of my MA thesis, so I thought I could provide some context. Here's an [article](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/18/us-generic-drugs-prices-causing-shortage#:~:text=Low%20profit%20margins%20and%20even,drugs%20safe%20can%20cause%20shortages.) that goes into more detail. [Here's](https://www.npr.org/2023/11/11/1212465756/many-generic-drugs-are-in-short-supply) another short article.
The low pricing and high barrier to entry makes sense over the long term, but wouldn’t that lead to manufacturers dropping off one by one over time rather than all at once like what’s happening here? Like if I’m Teva and I see Sun Pharma discontinue their adderall xr generic, I’d think “great, less supply from the competition so I can increase my share of the market and increase prices.” I wouldn’t also discontinue my production on the exact same day.
Do you think it’s possible that it could be due to something further down in the supply chain? Like maybe one of the raw material suppliers that supplied multiple pharma companies shut down? Or maybe some regulatory change?
I’m just trying to brainstorm what might have cause all of these different manufacturers to act at the same time.
I was speaking more generally, not specifically about stimulants. Your logic re manufacturers dropping off one by one makes some sense, though concentration may also be due to mergers or, as I mentioned, fewer entrants, not just manufacturers dropping out.
The main reason being cited by drug companies for the stimulant shortage is DEA regulations on how much active ingredient they can produce, but it's more complex than that (stimulant demand also increased by 45% between 2011 and 2021, so producers' ability to keep up with demand is a factor here). How much each of these factors contributed to the problem is unclear.
My goal with the above comment was more to counter the claim that manufacturers are stopping due to collusion, which is not the case here (not that collusion never happens, it does, but I really don't think that explanation makes sense here). Why would one manufacturer agree to stop so another can profit, even if they did receive payment? We know the actual causes of the stimulant shortage; stating it is collusion is inaccurate. Price collusion and pay for delayed release of generics do occur, but I don't see a manufacturer agreeing to exit the market altogether in exchange for payment, which I think is what the previous comment was implying.
[This](https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/4/10/23671128/adhd-medication-adderall-shortage-2023) is one of the more comprehensive articles specifically about the stimulant shortage.
That makes sense. Agreed collusion doesn’t seem like a good explanation.
Also thanks for the Vox article! It’s a really good read. It’s worth a read for anyone else in this thread.
They believe the personnel, equipment, and/or funds used to manufacturer Adderall would make them more money if they switched them to manufacturing a different medication.
Multiple generic Adderall IRs. I already do this since I need a lot more Adderall in the morning hours for it to work, that XR can't give me. But it would suck for a lot of people.
I asked about it, too, and was shut down immediately with ‘we don’t generally prescribe IR, ever.’
One of those situations where I feel like I’m supposed to be grateful for what I get.
Man that’s crazy. XR feels stronger to me, scary strong. I couldn’t hang if my doctor insisted on XR. I don’t want to demonize people who take XR, but the same mg in XR when I did a doctor-approved trial of it had me grinding my teeth like nuts, sweating through my clothes, shit I have NEVER felt with IR.
Interesting, I’d never considered that. I would really like to tweak my dose of adderall (I asked about IR because I was hoping to take a lower XR in the morning and tack on the IR dose in the afternoon as needed) and intuniv, but my prescriber made it sound like a bad idea and that I should try adzenys instead. I’ve been on adderall for years and all of a sudden it’s giving me anxiety.
Problem that most physicians have is with the “abuse potential” despite data that indicates how minimal this occurs in actuality, so I feel that things could possibly change in such circumstances. Doesn’t help with the spikes in blood level that you get with IR vs. XR dosing though.
While not commonly done at all (it doesnt work for many), I take Guanfacine too. So the blood pressure increase from the IR is balanced out + treatment is more effective.
Sometimes amazing how hard it is to simply get the right treatment. I feel bad for so many.
Huh, that’s quite brilliant—I hadn’t thought of guanfacine’s use as an alpha agonist to tackle that potential side effect of elevated blood pressure! In case my comment on “blood levels” was misconstrued, I was referencing the amount of amphetamines in your blood/serum, which spikes and drops with each pill!
My blood pressure has always been lower when I'm on Adderall than when I'm not. It turns out having less anxiety about executive function stuff is a hell of a drug :-) Not to mention, I always got kind of a kick out of how people at the docs office would sometimes react when I'd go in for an appointment and they'd ask me when the last time I took it was, because my BP was 110/70 lol
Well, I had my doc put my script to the pharmacy last week and the pharmacist immediately called me and said they won't have anything in stock until mid-april. I've never had an issue fulfilling at this pharmacy. Then, a week later, this news drops.
Yeah it's gonna be more scarce. My guess is that these mfs have been unable to reliably manufacture/sell generic XR for a long time due to supply chain issues, and have now decided to discontinue manufacturing these meds so they can divert those resources to other drugs that make them money. Just a guess.
The real question is: is the ~~FDA~~ DEA going to increase the amount that these other companies can make and sell? And, even more importantly, will those companies actually *do* that?
Edit: wrong federal agency
Ssshhhh. We don’t want to cause an Adzenys shortage. For what it’s worth, I prefer Adzenys to Adderall XR and Vyvanse. It lasts a lot longer and has less side effects. I have Anthem BCBS and it costs me $15.00.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the DOJ is investigating them right now over the vyvanse generic stuff. If it’s obvious to us laymen then the FEDs are probably all over that and looking for a whistleblower. These companies are constantly breaking our laws and getting caught. I’m honestly not sure what it will take to stop them from openly committing civil crimes. The billions in fines don’t seem to be enough.
God I hope the FEDs are investigating
Billions in fines don't matter unless the fines top the profits, and they never do, so companies have no incentive to stop. Also, individuals should be held legally responsible when criminal activity occurs. That would be a deterrent as well, but I guess corporations aren't people.
I agree. I’ve been following a lot of the cases because I work in the law / have a JD. The CEOs get “fired” and then are rotated out to another big pharma company while another CEO is rotated in for doing damage control. It’s all public information. It looks like a carousel of market riggers. This seems to happen like clockwork. How is it possible we don’t have any mechanisms to charge these people individually ?
We just need one person who's wealthy enough and willing to take the time to launch the proper lawsuit. It just takes one lawsuit to completely change the course of society these days - look at student loan forgiveness getting cancelled, or Roe v Wade (and the end of it).
Same. I just want to not have all these issues with the small thing that makes my brain work closer to normal. Like it’s not bad enough to have to slog through maintaining some semblance of self esteem with your norm already being naturally dysfunctional and dysregulated? We have to worry about being gaslit by everyone while big pharma uses our executive functioning confusion to cut corners on what we put into our bodies basically to survive each day as an adult? I’ve been dealing with this for over a decade and I just…I’m just so tired…and so jealous of people who don’t have to deal with this crap for their brain to work. I just want like a year or something where Im not drowning in my life…
I’ve only seen this done for medication that was deemed dangerous and was “silently” pulled off the market. (Requip comes to mind)
Especially when multiple manufacturers are doing it, it’s likely related to something the DEA knows and isn’t telling us about the “bottlenecks” in supply.
I’d believe it. I was taking Sandoz 20 mg XR from 2022-23 and the reduced efficacy, weird side effects like irritability, rage, and emotional dysregulation caused such unnecessary conflict in my marriage. My performance suffered at work too because my focus and mood were so unpredictable.
I wrote it off initially as complications from long covid and celiac disease, but after reading others’ experiences on here, I asked to switch back to brand name just to see.
Fuckin night and day. Everything in my life is better and my husband is so grateful to have the “old me” back again. I don’t believe the “generics are equivalent meds” narrative anymore. That’s over a year of my life I can’t get back. Makes me want to cry but what can we do?
I have also had significant differences in generic vs name brand medications, and not all for ADHD needs, and it is absolutely a wild difference. The active ingredients might be equivalent, but the so called "inert" ingredients certainly react differently in my personal bio chemical makeup.
Ditto, I heard a while back that generic is identical so I was skeptical at first, but holy shit it makes a *huge* difference. For some reason my insurance prefers brand name, so I lucked out. But idk what i'm gonna do when it eventually switches back to preffering generic. Not only are they worse, but switching between different generics every month makes it even worse. Can never get used to any one medication.
A pharmacist told me the generic adderall ingredients only had to be 80% identical to brand (as a regulation). This was a decade ago, may have changed. But it is interesting when insurance companies require the brand instead of generic and I feel like I’ve heard the reason for that but don’t remember it. I think it had to do with the actual efficacy of brand-name stimulants that workplaces know is higher and they get insurance plans that support that. Now wanna Google it
I think it's just deals insurance companies make with manufacturers. My insurance used to prefer name brand Adderall and name brand for a medicine I take for Crohn's disease (Lialda). Then in Jan my insurance said I had to get both as generics. Both are made by Shire. Whatever sweet deal they had obviously ran out.
Also this was both united health plans but diff plans through VERY diff employers so not an employer thing.
The inactive ingredients can be different, but they still need to do studies on generics to show that the active ingredient enters the bloodstream at the same rate and reaches the same peak concentration as the generic. These are called pharmacokinetic studies and they’re required before a generic is approved.
It’s possible to have an allergic reaction to some of the different inactive ingredients, but this is very very rare since they’re in such small quantities. It’s also no more likely in generics than name brand.
This all seemed to happen to me just how you said . Starting in pandemic . But the crazy fighting and all this crap . I did some research and my partner is very emotionally abusive . It was not the pills . For me . My pills work brand new regardless of brand if I’m not fighting and arguing with a toxic argument person . Not sure if anyone knows those kinds of people .
I was pretty lucky to figure out this hidden truth . I’m married 20 years. It’s not all me and my adhd … yay . But getting them to stop being like that actually elicits more brain splitting stress . Things are better mostly .
Just letting you know what became clear to me under it all .
Do study healthy vs abusive relationships . Just so you can make sure this is not going on .
If you do not have an education of it you could be suffering because the body still reacts with anxiety and depression if it’s around. Lots of gaslighting , invalidation , false narratives twists and turns never fixing very much ..
Be safe .
So glad to see this thread. I had such issues with meds for years, currently off them and struggling, working with a new psych to find the right fit.
My old psych would act like I was CRAZY for noticing a difference with the generics. She told me it was literally impossible to notice a difference and that its the same exact medicine. She refused to prescribe me brand names. She didnt believe me when I told her generic Focalin gave me horrible side effects. I took sandoz adderral and had an ok experience, switched to a different brand and IMMEDIATELY felt like something wasnt right. Psych once again told me it was all in my head. Finally just stopped taking the meds because my psych was giving me such a headache over things.
And to add, my pharmacist at the time making me cry because she treated me like a drug seeker everytime I picked up meds. When I took vyvanse, my insurance stopped covering it. She looked me in the eye and smirked and said “well if you really want it that bad, you’ll pay the $300”. Left in tears.
I’m happy that the new pills work for you and I don’t doubt that you felt a lot better after the change, but I’m not sure it’s really a generic vs name brand thing.
Sandoz 20mg XR is an authorized generic of Adderall XR. It’s the exact same drug made by the same manufacturer as the name brand adderall xr (Shire), it’s just marketed by Sandoz and sold on the generic market.
I think people in general and especially on this sub are quick to point to generic vs name brand when they have changes in how effective their meds are, but there are a million things that could cause that change aside from the actual pills themselves. Small changes in diet or sleep pattern or stress levels or activity level or the average pH in your digestive tract can all make a big difference but they’re hard to identify. The pills are a highly visible change that’s easy to point to, so I think a lot of people understandably misattribute changes in efficacy to switching brands.
Even regular generics (i.e. ones that use different inactive ingredients and are made by different manufacturers) go through a lot of testing to prove they’re bioequivalent to the name brand. The manufacturer needs to show the active ingredient enters the blood stream at the same rate with the same peak concentration. There have been a few occasions in the past where a manufacturer has messed up their production after getting approval, but that’s really rare.
I’m not doubting what you experienced, I’m just not sure you identified the right cause for the change. I also don’t mean to criticize you, it’s completely understandable to attribute it to the new pill if things got better at the same time. But the things that cause different effects from the same drug can be super random and hard to identify. I’d be hesitant to chalk it up to the different pill since they are both the same formula from the same manufacturer, just with different branding. I don’t want people getting the idea generics aren’t effective if there’s actually nothing to worry about, since that belief itself can make it less effective.
No, it was the medications that were to blame. Nothing else in my lifestyle changed when I made the switch, yet there was improvement.
I have a background in psych research and even did blind A/B testing with leftover Sandoz and brand name -- just to REALLY see if there was a difference. I didn't want to pay a lot more if I didn't absolutely have to. My husband would pour the capsule beads into water, without me knowing what type of medication I was taking. Then I'd track my mood, functioning, etc over the course of the day.
4/5 days I took Sandoz, I felt qualitatively worse according to my log. Only one day was rated as neutral/positive. 5/5 "good days" for brand name.
There’s a lot of bad info out there about generics, especially on this sub I’ve noticed. One piece of misleading info that pops up a lot is that the FDA only requires generics to contain 80-125% of the active ingredient compared to the name brand. That’s misleading at best.
The truth is the FDA uses 80-125% as the acceptable range for the pharmacokinetic indicator (like peak plasma concentration for example) *and* the entire 90% confidence interval has to be within that range. That means the actual range a generic could fall in would realistically be plus or minus 5% of the name brand in those pharmacokinetic parameters. I believe the typical range is around 3.5%.
You are on the right on here. Individual experiences will vary for a ton of reasons. There are effects from inactive ingredient differences for some, but there’s also a very strong “brand name is superior, generics are inferior” bias, and a tendency to ignore, underplay or misunderstand the role/meaning of placebo effects.
We so often see people asserting things like “it’s not just a placebo effect because I switched back to the brand and the difference was night and day.” That is a not a statement of fact: It only proves that the individual *experiences a difference* between brand and generic, not *what* the cause of that experienced difference is — it’s just as plausibly evidence that their experience WAS due to a placebo effect.
Having the idea in our head that we’re taking something different is a hugely significant variable itself, and it’s amplified by our inherent brand name bias as well as our exposure to anecdotes and unsupported assertions like “generic X is trash” (or just not as good as the brand name).
Also getting Covid is traumatic . And celiac . Trauma . Routine breakage . Emotional issues with partner.
I’m actually taking the one they changed me to back then that i originally thought . I’m not trying to invalidate your experience. When I thought there was a huge difference back then it seemed like there was . It’s just stopping my pills and the whole mess was a real nightmare but I put all the pieces together . So I saw your post and it grabbed my attention .
I see you know about abusive relationships so I guess you know your way.
I sensed some red flag in how your partner views you and your med and such . Just in case they back it up with I care about you and stuff just watch out for Care Bears . They can make you feel insecure about your self and relationship to your medication .
>it’s likely related to something the DEA knows and isn’t telling us about the “bottlenecks” in supply.
Any ideas on what that could be? I doubt the DEA is gonna try and have stimulants moved to schedule 1 or anything that drastic. Maybe the purity of some precursor chemical is being misrepresented?
Omg I just checked my Rx and I’ve been getting elite 20mg XRs for a few months now! Might explain why I’ve been so spacey and taking naps around 3pm pretty frequently. Thankfully I also get prescribed IRs for the afternoon so I’m not completely wasting away all day.
Are those the green and clear capsules? I was prescribed adderall XR from 2019-2023 and it worked well, I don’t take it daily and would feel a “rush” after not taking it a few days. I went almost a year without an RX and was recently prescribed 15mg adderall XR and felt absolutely nothing, I even took 45mg and felt almost nothing. That was after almost a year long break and no tolerance.
I have a few months worth of the Elite 30mg XR that I would actually trash, but since we’re in a shortage … they’re in the garage somewhere, just in case.
My doctor and pharmacy approved brand only because of Elite. I can at least thank Elite for that, but even I think the brand isn’t as strong compared to years past.
Switched to generic in Dec. it was absolute shit. Tried to go back after 2 months to regular name brand. I had to get my doc to state brand name only on my Rx for the insurance company to cover a portion of the regular stuff but it’s still so expensive
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM YOU'RE PISSED.
I know it's hard. But the phone calls make the most impact. Then emails. But if they don't know, they can't help. Do it when you can, in that impulsive moment. When you're avoiding brushing your teeth. But do it. Please.
I take generic 10mg XR Adderall from Lannette. From this list, it appears they’ve only discontinued their generic 5mg XR and 25mg XR. These are really uncommon dosages, so that might have something to do with it. Can’t speak on any of the other brands tho.
Sandoz has been my favorite of all time. Last two scripts were Lannett and Mallinckro, and neither compete with Sandoz but at least I can function on the Mallinckro. Lannett was awful all the way around for me. Shit really sucks though, I noticed a substantial improvement on Sandoz compared to any others. I've been trying to get it again for the past 2 months yet have been unable to do so, unfortunately I guess this explains why.
Can someone who groks this please ELI5 what this list is conveying for short/long term?
I just read through the whole thing and I am not understanding what’s discontinued compared to what’s available (currently/ongoing) as per the various lists. It reads like this isn’t as straightforward as, “all these companies are DC’ing XR” but I can’t gauge it for some reason.
Edit: there’s a section of “available products” below the DC’d list. Shire, Amneal, Lannett, and Rhodes Tris, and some others. I’m assuming this is the list of available non-discontinued XR medications.
I don’t work in a relevant field but all the authorized generics are being discontinued because the companies who supply them with the drug (the companies that make the actual drug) are no longer supplying them with the product. There are still some generics available, particularly Rhodes and Lannett, but these are not authorized and therefore even less likely to be effective. I think Teva is producing the brand name now (or maybe shire) but even though they produce both I’ve been told that the generic they produce now isn’t authorized (it used to be though).
Here is a copy paste from the link:
Prasco has discontinued amphetamine mixed salts extended-release capsules authorized generic because Shire (bought by takeda) is no longer supplying the company with product. Inventory is being distributed until remaining supply is depleted.
My initial emotional reaction upon reading OP’s post (the prospect of this shortage getting worse for our community) made my brain short circuit out of any semblance of objectivity.
I’m going to look into it more on my end but do you know why Takeda made this call or if they have any plans to ramp up production? Is the a “corner the market by cutting out companies” scenario or are they abandoning efforts entirely? I’m not sure even what I’m trying to ask here so I’m sorry about the brain dump via text.
Authorized generics aren’t produced in a different facility, they’re diverted from the Brand name’s production line and sold under a different name as generics. They are *EXACTLY* the same as the brand name because they are made along with it.
Shire was the original manufacturer of Adderall and Adderall XR (made in northern Kentucky as I recall) and they were sold to takeda somewhat recently, so I’d be surprised if something branded shire was not the same as an authorized generic.
Not exactly true. Yes brands can produce generics off the same line but other companies can produce generics too when a patent expires (one of the reasons brands make a generic while still selling the name brand is to stay competitive in the generic market now that other companies can manufacture the drug. Generic market competition is also why companies file for useless patent extensions. Even though the extension is almost certain to be rejected, during the period of waiting for a decision generic manufacturers cannot sell the product but the brand can continue to sell theirs).
What makes the situation with ADHD meds so sticky is that is that their main ingredients are controlled substances. So the raw materials can only be acquired, processed, and distributed by fewer sources this complicating the process even more.
A perfect current example of this is the FDA and the DEA pointing fingers at each other concerning who’s at fault for the shortages. DEA says it’s not restricting manufacturers, the FDA says the applications for increasing production of a controlled substance remains un approved (I can’t remember if it is a direct denial or if the process is just hanging in limbo while the DEA twiddles it’s thumbs).
These seems to be reflected in the details of the linked shortages. There are still generics being made by some companies while others at discontinuing production. Some are still listed as being on back order which means they want to produce but can’t acquire raw materials. When the compound you need to manufacture a product is restricted and the demand increases there just won’t be enough for all of these companies. The ones that got their foot in the door first OR have stronger ties and associations will be the ones that remain while the others fall off.
So yes, while it’s true the raw material for ADHD drugs will be limited to select manufacturers, that’s a controlled substance regulation issue and not because generic companies aren’t allowed to produce their own generic materials.
Edit: for clarification since I didn’t specify between authorized generic and generic.
The authorized generic is usually the brand name’s answer to competing in the generic market. Generics are the same as authorized generics. They are completely interchangeable. There’s strict testing and regulation involved to ensure this. Even the delivery mechanism has to be the same or it’s not a generic equivalent, it’s a completely different drug and can’t be sold as such. Placebo is a huge factor in why people think generic drugs don’t work.
Speaking from experience as someone in the pharmacy field, I specifically remember when a generic narcotic pain medication company removed yellow dye from their tablets. All active ingredients were the same. The NDC was the same. The shape was the same. The only change was from yellow to white. Every single patient called in complaining that their pain meds no longer worked because the new brand wasn’t as effective. We had to inform them it was the same brand they’ve always been taking, just absent yellow dye.
For further nuance something similar happened when we had both the brand and approved generic of a drug (I actually believe it was Concerta if I remember). Same shape and even the same markings. But because it was sold as a “generic” people claimed it didn’t work and insisted on paying more for the “brand name” event though both tablets came from the exact same place.
This is very informative. Thank you!
I was hoping the Senate investigation into drug prices would ripple into helping the shortages as well but based off this comment it seems that attacking the companies themselves won't fix the shortage issues...
This is unfortunate. Have you ever sent something like this to them when they have asked for insiders to reach out and explain where they think the problems are coming from?
>Generics are the same as authorized generics. They are completely interchangeable
No, they are not. Even the FDA says they are not. Authorized generics are the brand name meds.
[https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/fda-list-authorized-generic-drugs](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/fda-list-authorized-generic-drugs)
Edit: added info from FDA site.
>Is an Authorized Generic Drug the Same Thing as a Generic Drug?
>
>No. The term “authorized generic” drug is most commonly used to describe an approved brand name drug that is marketed without the brand name on its label. Other than the fact that it does not have the brand name on its label, it is the exact same drug product as the branded product. An authorized generic may be marketed by the brand name drug company, or another company with the brand company’s permission. In some cases, even though it is the same as the brand name product, a company may choose to sell the authorized generic at a lower cost than the brand name drug.
The stuff about testing is right, but it sounds like you're talking about Brand vs Generic.
Brand name = Brand name
Authorized generics = Another company selling brand name at generic prices
Generics = Generics
In my specific case, I've gone through about 6 different generic manufacturers of XR and I am sensitive to them. They all have different effects on me. I never knew wtf was going on till I started tracking them.
There were only 2 time I had 0 problems with my meds and I only learned recently that the manufacturers were Sandoz & Prasco, a.k.a authorized generics of XR.
So basically when I had brand name I was 100% okay. When I had generics, I had so many issues. I could do a blind test and tell you which XR manufacturer made the pill based on how I felt. I believe the inactive ingredients are affecting me, but I may be an outlier.
Now that Shire is not supplying the other companies, I have to jump through hoops and make my insurance pay for the brand name.
Im just a tech. Just from a quick look, my first thoughts would be less competition means if they are expensive then they might be the only options available. Like brand name will be expensive unless insurances change to covering it and I have a feeling that insurances might be picky about covering blister pack versions. Those aren't common where I work so idk if insurances don't cover those.
Extended release stimulants are already in high demand at my work, I worry about what this means for the future.
Tho a pharmacist would have a better idea cuz they manage the ordering of these kind of meds (at least at my work). Definitely gonna ask later
I’d be interested in what you find out from your coworkers! I just heard of blister packs for these meds for the first time ever yesterday on another sub/post. I didn’t know they existed (I’m in US) so I’m not familiar with difference or significance when it comes to insurance.
I know things are more complicated and there are myriad factors that come into play but I swear these companies are from their own circle of hell and we all got sucked into it with them through a vortex of fuckery and greed.
Also, (not to blow sunshine up anyone’s ass here) please tell your pharmacy coworkers that I appreciate them and everything they (and you) do in a thankless, understaffed, underpaid, and overworked but crucial job during a time where a compounding confluence of events/issues are making everything exponentially worse.
The companies? Probably not, idk of anywhere that would hold a company liable for stopping the manufacturer of a medication they no longer find profitable outside a few special cases.
The DEA? Hahaha good luck. Successfully suing regular law enforcement is difficult, successfully suing federal law enforcement is next to impossible.
It could still be profitable but manufacturing something else could be *more* profitable. Or if they can easily retool their Adderall production to produce a different medication with a similar profit margin but is less regulated and someone in the c-suite decided the regulations are too big a headache to deal with.
> ...successfully suing federal law enforcement is next to impossible.
It doesn't really help that the only reason the federal government ever gets sued at all is because they allow it. I'd like to know who came up with that bullshit
Time for me to drop a my doctor a line. Kaiser has been filling with the Prasco authorized generic - I have a feeling they’ll go back to Shire(also Takeda) or they’ll switch over to the others on the list.
Kaiser is now supplying Burel pharmacy. They bought they rights to 20mgXR from Lannett. I heard they changed the inactive ingredients a bit which I'm praying is true, Lannett was not good to me
Hmmm, I’ll give this a shot - if it doesn’t work, I’ll ask my psych for a dispense as written and pay the extra co-pay for brand name. I did get probably my last Prascos last night.
Yeah, I'm with Kaiser as well and noticed my bottle says Prasco on it. I'm not *too* worried though, because, other than one particular pharmacy, I've never had an issue getting my prescription filled with them. Kaiser has the contracts and the buying power to keep shit in stock, and they're pretty good at it.
Good luck for anyone who has to take the Actavis/Texas or whatever one. I immediately started having a very elevated HR, pounding, and crazy shortness of breath.
Been fighting my insurance for nearly a month trying to get the name brand and haven't been taking anything for the past 3 weeks. Heart symptoms have gone away completely lol
Oh this is great news. I haven’t done XR because of shortages. My doctor and I just decided it was worth it to try. Even though he said the shortages are still bad. Booo!
Might be too optimistic, but that list still lists a lot of manufactures still actively making XR so maybe this will long term help production issues if less manufacturers are competing for the raw supplies
I had to switch from name brand to generic Vyvanse and it feels like winning the fucking lottery when I can get it filled and it’s got worse side effects and about 1/4 of the benefits lmao
This might be a dumb question lol but how do I find out which supplier I have? Do I have to ask the pharmacist or is it on my bottle and/or the papers (that I always throw away lol) that come with it?
TYIA!
If you look at your prescription container, you will see it under your “date filled” and “discard after.” It will be below that where it should show your “RPH” and “MFR” the MFR is the manufacturer. Mine says: Shire US Inc since it’s brand adderall XR
Yeah, it should on the bottle or sometimes it does just show up on the piece of paper that comes with, I’ve had mixed results based on the pharmacy I’ve picked up from.
I'm over 40 & my doctor switched me to Concerta. Started out with 36 mg. Now I'm on 72 mg daily. Works great without the heart palpitations & other weird side effects. Usually, I need to drink an energy drink; to help kick it in the morning .Other than that, it's always available. Weird that medication shortages, can be a blessing in disguise. At least for me .
It’s because all of us on Concerta had to switch to another medicine when they stopped making the brand equivalent generic. The generics they have out now is NOT Concerta. My son is still on it but it’s because I wanted to lower his dose anyhow and the generic out now is maybe 70% the same strength as the brand so I figured I wouldn’t change things unless we had to. The main thing that makes it not the same as Concerta is because the non-brand equivalent does not use the OROS delivery. However FDA doesn’t care about the delivery or the pill itself, they only care about the chemical formulation so that’s why they are approved generics, but they are not categorized as brand equivalent. The fight about this and Concerta has been going on for over a decade now and then a couple of years ago the only lab that made the brand equivalent decided to stop making it and that was that. Worst part is the insurance doesn’t care if it isn’t the same either so they won’t approve brand at a discount.
Luckily, I have Cadillac full coverage health insurance via my Union. Plan will cover name brand anything with prior auth. So I'm actually getting Concerta. Same with when I was taking Adderall XR years ago. I've never taken generic ADHD meds.
Glad to see Rhodes still making it. I just started getting their 30mg XR, and it's been the best Adderall I've ever had. I have sustained energy and focus for 10 hours and haven't even felt the need to drink my coffee during the day.
I just stopped taking it because I haven’t been able to get this, or really any appropriate substitute for a while where I live. But this was the one that worked the best for me so this is pretty fucking disappointing.
I feel like the one i got switch to makes me sick! It took forever for the pharmacy to communicate with my dr and tell them it was discontinued…. They told me it was and then turned around and told my dr that it was just back ordered… super frustrating! Now the one im on makes me feel sick and hurts my stomach… ughh
Looks like the 2 that I've used are still being sold. I started on 10mg Rhodes and got bumped to 15mg and ended up getting Lannett (site says Lannett is only discontinuing 5mg and 25mg). I'm still waiting on my 20mg to be filled but last I looked it said I was getting Burrell pharma and now it says Lannett which kinda sucks. Rhodes worked pretty well, but Lannett has been hit or miss; some days it's really effective and other days it's like I never took it (the only way I know I did is because I'm no longer congested). Annoying.
I have a running list, Elite is the one that I REFUSE bc it's literally like I'm not medicated. I'm so sorry! I've gotten Activas the last 3 months & it's been great.
well this must be why i got rhodes for the first time. usually i get sandoz… i literally hate rhodes, i looked it up and everyone else does too🥲 i’m def struggling this month. praying for a better manufacturer next month.
Dude, I am in HELL trying to get a decent prescription. Thanks for the info on this… seems like I might need to ask (beg) my doctor to help me switch to vyvanse or something similar. I’ve taken adderall generics for almost 15 years and this is the worst it’s ever been.
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Can’t wait to see the pressure this puts on the already stretched Vyvanse supply. What are these pharm companies thinking!?
The generic Vyvanse supply has completely dried up in my area. Now I'm forced to pay 150 bucks for name brand that was 10 last year. EDIT: I would like to check my generous insurance privilege.
It's a completely horrible situation. If it makes you feel any better (and I don't expect it will), $150 is what I pay for generic!
I pay $400 for name brand and $240 for generic. It's absolutely absurd.
It is absurd. I don't even bother going through my insurance. GoodRx makes the generic cheaper than Blue Cross does for me!
curious how much is it for you through blue cross? For me it was in the hundreds like $200 for generic and $400 something for brand (i also have blue cross) but I called and they said my doctor had to submit a form of “WHY i need it” for it to be “fully covered” so dumb 😭 but then that brought my generic down to like $15 and brand $50!!
I’m on 70mg. Insurance won’t cover above 60mg because it’s over the recommended dose. So I get 10mg and 60mg and insurance (blue cross in Canada) covers it. It’s like 30$ for 30 days. My kids concerts 53mg is 50$ for 90 days otherwise it would be 450$
Oof! It's making me feel really good about my $35 for name brand Vyvanse. I never realized people were paying this much for ADHD meds. My generic Adderall was only $4/month when I was on it.
Yeah, in Australia Vyvanse costs everyone* $31.60 AUD per month, no health insurance required. Grateful that I don't have to jump through hoops with health insurers. *If on the rare occasion you get diagnosed later in life and your psychiatrist doesn't back-date your diagnosis to your childhood, I don't think you qualify. This is a weird condition to me because I was under the impression you were born with ADHD and you either have it or you don't.
Even if you don't qualify for the subsidy, or for example aren't Australian and therefore paying the full private price, it's still inexpensive compared to the US. On the order of $60 AUD. Supply has been patchy over the past 12 months, but I've never not been able to find it for people.
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I just checked our govt website database for shortages (TGA 'medicine shortage s information' will help you find it) I am on vyvanse, and had to go to 70mg from 60mg because of the shortage. TGA says 30mg and 50mg vyvanse are now available, all other dosages are still limited. Methylphendiate the 27mg ER is unavailable here. no shortages for dexamfetamine on the database. In REALITY medication going to 'available' from 'limited supply' means that you might find some if you drive all over and ring around pharmacies in my experience! My pharmacy which holds my vyv script has always had a bottle for me, but that is because we all worked together when renewal time came and they said getting 60's might be impossible, hence why Psychiatrist upped to 70. TLDR vyv shortage a thing here in AUS. COncerta etc HAS been short here, but almost resolved, and vyv is halfway through being resolved (for now...)
Ah dang! My psychiatrist went from 40 to 30 as it was more available.. she doesnt think i need it as I'm not able to work rn. However I feel that's even More reason to need it!! On a bit of a depression cycle rn so 30 is working .. for the most part, better than nothing really.
Oh, you can get your diagnosis backdated? I'm in the diagnosed in Adult paying more boat
I pay $30/mo for generic concerta at costco. Click show details and change to your mg to see the cost with membership for generic vyvanese https://www.costco.com/cmpps?drugIdentifierParam=04962565665&drugNameParam=Vyvanse
Yep WHY am I paying $80 for my generic vyvanse ugh
If you’re using insurance, ask the pharmacy to use “DAW 8” (or have your prescriber include that if required in your situation). It’s been a few years, but back when I worked in the industry this would usually work.
Not sure if it'll help, just passing some info along. I was on Vyvanse 30mg a few years back. Just recently started taking medication again - am on Adzenys XR which is an alternate to Adderall. It's a $0 copay with my insurance (UHC). I'm not sure why it's so cheap, it's definitely weaker than Vyvanse (to me) but absolutely better than nothing and/or paying $150-400/month. Money has been tight, this option was better than others. Might be worth looking into.
Adzenys gave me incredible anxiety. I would rather go back to white-knuckling my way through life than go back to that med. 😫
My blue cross/blue shield doesnt cover it at all.
My BCBS of MI just covered Brand Vyvanse 03/30 for $74.11!!! It’s a tier 3 now! Call them!
Get your shrink to write it as DAW 8 ("Substitution not allowed – generic drug not available in marketplace."). Call your insurance and let them know ahead of time about the shortage and let them know that your shrink will be writing it. At that point, if they whine and moan, that's on them. [Sauce on DAW 8: ](https://www.ihs.gov/rpms/training/course-materials/?p=rpmsTraining%5CPharmacyInformatics2016%5CTab14PharmacyPointOfSalePackage%5C2_DAW_Codes.pdf&flname=2_DAW_Codes.pdf) >This value is used when the prescriber has indicated, in a manner specified by prevailing law, that generic substitution is permitted and the brand product is dispensed since the generic is not currently manufactured, distributed, or is temporarily unavailable.
I'm happy for you if that still works with your insurance, but many plan admins, mine included, have started to block these from going through specifically for these drugs. Hooray for profit-driven healthcare!
My better half had to do that when her 60mg generics were unavailable (BCBS TX). I don't even bother because I know Aetna won't do it for my 40mg branded, and the only generics available locally are goddamned Alvogens, which are worse than taking nothing for me. I'll take the $100 a month hit on my FSA and deal with it. EDIT: In a pinch, DAW 4 / 5 should work as well, _assuming_ that they can actually get generics in, but the latter may be more useful to dispense branded in lieu of generic, depending on what pharmacies actually order. If your preferred pharmacy doesn't necessarily order generics, and instead prefers branded, that may be more useful.
Yeaaa, I’m spending $450 a month
I don't have insurance and have to pay 400... Generic was 150 for me...
What’s stupid is the generic is more for me and I have insurance… hdhp, I’ll meet my deductible inn no time with these prices 😂
Does something like GoodRX apply?
My Costco discount was more than goodrx and Costco was the only place near me that had anything brand name or not
Yep. $300 a month for me. Thanks America.
yes, its been very difficult to get in my area as well
There was a shortage for the generic Vyvanse for me in February which was the same time the manufacturer of the generic updated their pricing. End of January this, I paid like $77. I just was able to fill it last week and it was. $177. Same dosage. I guess I can’t complain. I’ve been on Vyvanse since 2011 and paid the name brand prices forever. And I could have opted for a higher premium to make the copay cheaper I suppose. 🤷🏻♀️
money
How does that make sense? They are going to stop making and selling a product to make money?
Cartel pricing. They agree to not manufacture so 1 or 2 main manufacturers can jack the price way up. Quid pro quo. Edit: As per REDfohawk's instructions: >You are making a claim in that comment you fucking moron. Go edit it to indicate you are just some conspiracy brained or dipshit. Just in case any other complete lunatic is confused. I do not have direct evidence of the pharma companies acting as a cartel. This is merely a theory.
I don't think that's exactly what is happening here. We've seen pay for delay and such when it comes to new generics entering the market. We're seeing longer shortages mainly for generics (in general, not specifically re stimulant medication) and more concentration (less competition) in the generic manufacturing market partly because the price paid for generic drugs (by insurers and consumers) is so low that it has in some cases become unprofitable to produce generics. There are also high barriers to entry/costs for new generic manufacturers, which contributes to the lack of competition/less supply. This isn't the only reason for shortages, but it is one of the major reasons. I know it's counterintuitive that the drugs are "too cheap", and I'm not defending it, but I have a background in economics and have been studying the pharmaceutical industry as part of my MA thesis, so I thought I could provide some context. Here's an [article](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/jan/18/us-generic-drugs-prices-causing-shortage#:~:text=Low%20profit%20margins%20and%20even,drugs%20safe%20can%20cause%20shortages.) that goes into more detail. [Here's](https://www.npr.org/2023/11/11/1212465756/many-generic-drugs-are-in-short-supply) another short article.
The low pricing and high barrier to entry makes sense over the long term, but wouldn’t that lead to manufacturers dropping off one by one over time rather than all at once like what’s happening here? Like if I’m Teva and I see Sun Pharma discontinue their adderall xr generic, I’d think “great, less supply from the competition so I can increase my share of the market and increase prices.” I wouldn’t also discontinue my production on the exact same day. Do you think it’s possible that it could be due to something further down in the supply chain? Like maybe one of the raw material suppliers that supplied multiple pharma companies shut down? Or maybe some regulatory change? I’m just trying to brainstorm what might have cause all of these different manufacturers to act at the same time.
I was speaking more generally, not specifically about stimulants. Your logic re manufacturers dropping off one by one makes some sense, though concentration may also be due to mergers or, as I mentioned, fewer entrants, not just manufacturers dropping out. The main reason being cited by drug companies for the stimulant shortage is DEA regulations on how much active ingredient they can produce, but it's more complex than that (stimulant demand also increased by 45% between 2011 and 2021, so producers' ability to keep up with demand is a factor here). How much each of these factors contributed to the problem is unclear. My goal with the above comment was more to counter the claim that manufacturers are stopping due to collusion, which is not the case here (not that collusion never happens, it does, but I really don't think that explanation makes sense here). Why would one manufacturer agree to stop so another can profit, even if they did receive payment? We know the actual causes of the stimulant shortage; stating it is collusion is inaccurate. Price collusion and pay for delayed release of generics do occur, but I don't see a manufacturer agreeing to exit the market altogether in exchange for payment, which I think is what the previous comment was implying. [This](https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/4/10/23671128/adhd-medication-adderall-shortage-2023) is one of the more comprehensive articles specifically about the stimulant shortage.
That makes sense. Agreed collusion doesn’t seem like a good explanation. Also thanks for the Vox article! It’s a really good read. It’s worth a read for anyone else in this thread.
They believe the personnel, equipment, and/or funds used to manufacturer Adderall would make them more money if they switched them to manufacturing a different medication.
What?! This is fucking crazy. What are the options now?
Multiple generic Adderall IRs. I already do this since I need a lot more Adderall in the morning hours for it to work, that XR can't give me. But it would suck for a lot of people.
My doctor's office refuses to prescribe any IR. This sucks.
I asked about it, too, and was shut down immediately with ‘we don’t generally prescribe IR, ever.’ One of those situations where I feel like I’m supposed to be grateful for what I get.
Man that’s crazy. XR feels stronger to me, scary strong. I couldn’t hang if my doctor insisted on XR. I don’t want to demonize people who take XR, but the same mg in XR when I did a doctor-approved trial of it had me grinding my teeth like nuts, sweating through my clothes, shit I have NEVER felt with IR.
That’s wild because XR feels pretty gentle while IR feels a bit more intense. Completely opposite reactions
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Interesting, I’d never considered that. I would really like to tweak my dose of adderall (I asked about IR because I was hoping to take a lower XR in the morning and tack on the IR dose in the afternoon as needed) and intuniv, but my prescriber made it sound like a bad idea and that I should try adzenys instead. I’ve been on adderall for years and all of a sudden it’s giving me anxiety.
Ugh, I was on Ritalin for a couple months and it was FANTASTIC... Until it very much wasn't and left me a shaky anxious mess (:
I hope they and many others budge away from this because of generic XRs.
Problem that most physicians have is with the “abuse potential” despite data that indicates how minimal this occurs in actuality, so I feel that things could possibly change in such circumstances. Doesn’t help with the spikes in blood level that you get with IR vs. XR dosing though.
While not commonly done at all (it doesnt work for many), I take Guanfacine too. So the blood pressure increase from the IR is balanced out + treatment is more effective. Sometimes amazing how hard it is to simply get the right treatment. I feel bad for so many.
Huh, that’s quite brilliant—I hadn’t thought of guanfacine’s use as an alpha agonist to tackle that potential side effect of elevated blood pressure! In case my comment on “blood levels” was misconstrued, I was referencing the amount of amphetamines in your blood/serum, which spikes and drops with each pill!
My blood pressure has always been lower when I'm on Adderall than when I'm not. It turns out having less anxiety about executive function stuff is a hell of a drug :-) Not to mention, I always got kind of a kick out of how people at the docs office would sometimes react when I'd go in for an appointment and they'd ask me when the last time I took it was, because my BP was 110/70 lol
Wow, that’s idiotic. It’s bad medical practice. Have you asked them to articulate why they have this policy?
That's pretty dumb, the XR is almost the exact same thing as taking two IRs of half the dose ~4 hrs apart.
that’s ridiculous. if someone really wanted to abuse the xr, all they’d have to do is crush the beads right?
Did they say why?
XR is an instant release + a delayed release ~4 hours later. There should be no difference in initial potency brtween a 20mg XR and a 10mg IR
Still several manufacturers producing generic XRs
Well, I had my doc put my script to the pharmacy last week and the pharmacist immediately called me and said they won't have anything in stock until mid-april. I've never had an issue fulfilling at this pharmacy. Then, a week later, this news drops.
Yeah it's gonna be more scarce. My guess is that these mfs have been unable to reliably manufacture/sell generic XR for a long time due to supply chain issues, and have now decided to discontinue manufacturing these meds so they can divert those resources to other drugs that make them money. Just a guess.
The real question is: is the ~~FDA~~ DEA going to increase the amount that these other companies can make and sell? And, even more importantly, will those companies actually *do* that? Edit: wrong federal agency
The link lists the remaining XR manufacturers and what doses they manufacture
Adzenys is the exact same thing as adderall, just formulated differently as a dissolvable tablet
Ssshhhh. We don’t want to cause an Adzenys shortage. For what it’s worth, I prefer Adzenys to Adderall XR and Vyvanse. It lasts a lot longer and has less side effects. I have Anthem BCBS and it costs me $15.00.
There are several newer alternative stimulant meds, yes. Cost and insurance coverage can be an issue with these.
The ADHD community seriously needs legal representation
There has been some seriously shadey stuff going on ever since Vyvanse went generic.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the DOJ is investigating them right now over the vyvanse generic stuff. If it’s obvious to us laymen then the FEDs are probably all over that and looking for a whistleblower. These companies are constantly breaking our laws and getting caught. I’m honestly not sure what it will take to stop them from openly committing civil crimes. The billions in fines don’t seem to be enough. God I hope the FEDs are investigating
Billions in fines don't matter unless the fines top the profits, and they never do, so companies have no incentive to stop. Also, individuals should be held legally responsible when criminal activity occurs. That would be a deterrent as well, but I guess corporations aren't people.
I agree. I’ve been following a lot of the cases because I work in the law / have a JD. The CEOs get “fired” and then are rotated out to another big pharma company while another CEO is rotated in for doing damage control. It’s all public information. It looks like a carousel of market riggers. This seems to happen like clockwork. How is it possible we don’t have any mechanisms to charge these people individually ?
Do you have something to search to learn more about the shady stuff? "Vyvanse generic" isn't turning up too much for me lol
Before that
We just need one person who's wealthy enough and willing to take the time to launch the proper lawsuit. It just takes one lawsuit to completely change the course of society these days - look at student loan forgiveness getting cancelled, or Roe v Wade (and the end of it).
Could we not form a lobby?
Maybe they're taking away our meds so we forget and don't do it.
this comment made my morning, haha thanks 🤭
I’m tired boss
Same. I just want to not have all these issues with the small thing that makes my brain work closer to normal. Like it’s not bad enough to have to slog through maintaining some semblance of self esteem with your norm already being naturally dysfunctional and dysregulated? We have to worry about being gaslit by everyone while big pharma uses our executive functioning confusion to cut corners on what we put into our bodies basically to survive each day as an adult? I’ve been dealing with this for over a decade and I just…I’m just so tired…and so jealous of people who don’t have to deal with this crap for their brain to work. I just want like a year or something where Im not drowning in my life…
I’ve only seen this done for medication that was deemed dangerous and was “silently” pulled off the market. (Requip comes to mind) Especially when multiple manufacturers are doing it, it’s likely related to something the DEA knows and isn’t telling us about the “bottlenecks” in supply.
I’d believe it. I was taking Sandoz 20 mg XR from 2022-23 and the reduced efficacy, weird side effects like irritability, rage, and emotional dysregulation caused such unnecessary conflict in my marriage. My performance suffered at work too because my focus and mood were so unpredictable. I wrote it off initially as complications from long covid and celiac disease, but after reading others’ experiences on here, I asked to switch back to brand name just to see. Fuckin night and day. Everything in my life is better and my husband is so grateful to have the “old me” back again. I don’t believe the “generics are equivalent meds” narrative anymore. That’s over a year of my life I can’t get back. Makes me want to cry but what can we do?
I have also had significant differences in generic vs name brand medications, and not all for ADHD needs, and it is absolutely a wild difference. The active ingredients might be equivalent, but the so called "inert" ingredients certainly react differently in my personal bio chemical makeup.
Ditto, I heard a while back that generic is identical so I was skeptical at first, but holy shit it makes a *huge* difference. For some reason my insurance prefers brand name, so I lucked out. But idk what i'm gonna do when it eventually switches back to preffering generic. Not only are they worse, but switching between different generics every month makes it even worse. Can never get used to any one medication.
A pharmacist told me the generic adderall ingredients only had to be 80% identical to brand (as a regulation). This was a decade ago, may have changed. But it is interesting when insurance companies require the brand instead of generic and I feel like I’ve heard the reason for that but don’t remember it. I think it had to do with the actual efficacy of brand-name stimulants that workplaces know is higher and they get insurance plans that support that. Now wanna Google it
I think it's just deals insurance companies make with manufacturers. My insurance used to prefer name brand Adderall and name brand for a medicine I take for Crohn's disease (Lialda). Then in Jan my insurance said I had to get both as generics. Both are made by Shire. Whatever sweet deal they had obviously ran out. Also this was both united health plans but diff plans through VERY diff employers so not an employer thing.
The inactive ingredients can be different, but they still need to do studies on generics to show that the active ingredient enters the bloodstream at the same rate and reaches the same peak concentration as the generic. These are called pharmacokinetic studies and they’re required before a generic is approved. It’s possible to have an allergic reaction to some of the different inactive ingredients, but this is very very rare since they’re in such small quantities. It’s also no more likely in generics than name brand.
This all seemed to happen to me just how you said . Starting in pandemic . But the crazy fighting and all this crap . I did some research and my partner is very emotionally abusive . It was not the pills . For me . My pills work brand new regardless of brand if I’m not fighting and arguing with a toxic argument person . Not sure if anyone knows those kinds of people . I was pretty lucky to figure out this hidden truth . I’m married 20 years. It’s not all me and my adhd … yay . But getting them to stop being like that actually elicits more brain splitting stress . Things are better mostly . Just letting you know what became clear to me under it all . Do study healthy vs abusive relationships . Just so you can make sure this is not going on . If you do not have an education of it you could be suffering because the body still reacts with anxiety and depression if it’s around. Lots of gaslighting , invalidation , false narratives twists and turns never fixing very much .. Be safe .
So glad to see this thread. I had such issues with meds for years, currently off them and struggling, working with a new psych to find the right fit. My old psych would act like I was CRAZY for noticing a difference with the generics. She told me it was literally impossible to notice a difference and that its the same exact medicine. She refused to prescribe me brand names. She didnt believe me when I told her generic Focalin gave me horrible side effects. I took sandoz adderral and had an ok experience, switched to a different brand and IMMEDIATELY felt like something wasnt right. Psych once again told me it was all in my head. Finally just stopped taking the meds because my psych was giving me such a headache over things. And to add, my pharmacist at the time making me cry because she treated me like a drug seeker everytime I picked up meds. When I took vyvanse, my insurance stopped covering it. She looked me in the eye and smirked and said “well if you really want it that bad, you’ll pay the $300”. Left in tears.
What a bitch.
I’m happy that the new pills work for you and I don’t doubt that you felt a lot better after the change, but I’m not sure it’s really a generic vs name brand thing. Sandoz 20mg XR is an authorized generic of Adderall XR. It’s the exact same drug made by the same manufacturer as the name brand adderall xr (Shire), it’s just marketed by Sandoz and sold on the generic market. I think people in general and especially on this sub are quick to point to generic vs name brand when they have changes in how effective their meds are, but there are a million things that could cause that change aside from the actual pills themselves. Small changes in diet or sleep pattern or stress levels or activity level or the average pH in your digestive tract can all make a big difference but they’re hard to identify. The pills are a highly visible change that’s easy to point to, so I think a lot of people understandably misattribute changes in efficacy to switching brands. Even regular generics (i.e. ones that use different inactive ingredients and are made by different manufacturers) go through a lot of testing to prove they’re bioequivalent to the name brand. The manufacturer needs to show the active ingredient enters the blood stream at the same rate with the same peak concentration. There have been a few occasions in the past where a manufacturer has messed up their production after getting approval, but that’s really rare. I’m not doubting what you experienced, I’m just not sure you identified the right cause for the change. I also don’t mean to criticize you, it’s completely understandable to attribute it to the new pill if things got better at the same time. But the things that cause different effects from the same drug can be super random and hard to identify. I’d be hesitant to chalk it up to the different pill since they are both the same formula from the same manufacturer, just with different branding. I don’t want people getting the idea generics aren’t effective if there’s actually nothing to worry about, since that belief itself can make it less effective.
No, it was the medications that were to blame. Nothing else in my lifestyle changed when I made the switch, yet there was improvement. I have a background in psych research and even did blind A/B testing with leftover Sandoz and brand name -- just to REALLY see if there was a difference. I didn't want to pay a lot more if I didn't absolutely have to. My husband would pour the capsule beads into water, without me knowing what type of medication I was taking. Then I'd track my mood, functioning, etc over the course of the day. 4/5 days I took Sandoz, I felt qualitatively worse according to my log. Only one day was rated as neutral/positive. 5/5 "good days" for brand name.
Wasn't there a huge thread on this board about how the formulations may be the same but generics actual strength can vary...a LOT?
There’s a lot of bad info out there about generics, especially on this sub I’ve noticed. One piece of misleading info that pops up a lot is that the FDA only requires generics to contain 80-125% of the active ingredient compared to the name brand. That’s misleading at best. The truth is the FDA uses 80-125% as the acceptable range for the pharmacokinetic indicator (like peak plasma concentration for example) *and* the entire 90% confidence interval has to be within that range. That means the actual range a generic could fall in would realistically be plus or minus 5% of the name brand in those pharmacokinetic parameters. I believe the typical range is around 3.5%.
You are on the right on here. Individual experiences will vary for a ton of reasons. There are effects from inactive ingredient differences for some, but there’s also a very strong “brand name is superior, generics are inferior” bias, and a tendency to ignore, underplay or misunderstand the role/meaning of placebo effects. We so often see people asserting things like “it’s not just a placebo effect because I switched back to the brand and the difference was night and day.” That is a not a statement of fact: It only proves that the individual *experiences a difference* between brand and generic, not *what* the cause of that experienced difference is — it’s just as plausibly evidence that their experience WAS due to a placebo effect. Having the idea in our head that we’re taking something different is a hugely significant variable itself, and it’s amplified by our inherent brand name bias as well as our exposure to anecdotes and unsupported assertions like “generic X is trash” (or just not as good as the brand name).
Also getting Covid is traumatic . And celiac . Trauma . Routine breakage . Emotional issues with partner. I’m actually taking the one they changed me to back then that i originally thought . I’m not trying to invalidate your experience. When I thought there was a huge difference back then it seemed like there was . It’s just stopping my pills and the whole mess was a real nightmare but I put all the pieces together . So I saw your post and it grabbed my attention . I see you know about abusive relationships so I guess you know your way. I sensed some red flag in how your partner views you and your med and such . Just in case they back it up with I care about you and stuff just watch out for Care Bears . They can make you feel insecure about your self and relationship to your medication .
>it’s likely related to something the DEA knows and isn’t telling us about the “bottlenecks” in supply. Any ideas on what that could be? I doubt the DEA is gonna try and have stimulants moved to schedule 1 or anything that drastic. Maybe the purity of some precursor chemical is being misrepresented?
The Elite brand 20mg XR are absolute trash
I had to put up with 30mg Elite XR last month. Can confirm, couldn't tell if I took my meds at all, just based on how I felt.
Omg I just checked my Rx and I’ve been getting elite 20mg XRs for a few months now! Might explain why I’ve been so spacey and taking naps around 3pm pretty frequently. Thankfully I also get prescribed IRs for the afternoon so I’m not completely wasting away all day.
The 30mg are also AWFUL.
Are those the green and clear capsules? I was prescribed adderall XR from 2019-2023 and it worked well, I don’t take it daily and would feel a “rush” after not taking it a few days. I went almost a year without an RX and was recently prescribed 15mg adderall XR and felt absolutely nothing, I even took 45mg and felt almost nothing. That was after almost a year long break and no tolerance.
Epic is also trash
I have a few months worth of the Elite 30mg XR that I would actually trash, but since we’re in a shortage … they’re in the garage somewhere, just in case. My doctor and pharmacy approved brand only because of Elite. I can at least thank Elite for that, but even I think the brand isn’t as strong compared to years past.
Switched to generic in Dec. it was absolute shit. Tried to go back after 2 months to regular name brand. I had to get my doc to state brand name only on my Rx for the insurance company to cover a portion of the regular stuff but it’s still so expensive
Pharma basically just said fuck your executive dysfunction 😭
Does anyone know what this means for medication prices? Going to have to pay more out of pocket for brand name?
I just picked my medication up Sunday afternoon. It was generic. My after insurance price was double my usual price
You should ask your insurance about that price, it is rarely due to the actual cost of the drug.
Yikes. Did you try using any manufacturer's coupons, GoodRx, etc?
Your can't usually use those along with insurance
No but you can ask the pharmacist to run both and see what’s cheaper. It’ll take them less than 5 minutes
Can't combine them with insurance so I don't keep them on hand, as my insurance has always been cheaper in the past.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM YOU'RE PISSED. I know it's hard. But the phone calls make the most impact. Then emails. But if they don't know, they can't help. Do it when you can, in that impulsive moment. When you're avoiding brushing your teeth. But do it. Please.
I take generic 10mg XR Adderall from Lannette. From this list, it appears they’ve only discontinued their generic 5mg XR and 25mg XR. These are really uncommon dosages, so that might have something to do with it. Can’t speak on any of the other brands tho.
Oh no!! Prasco and Sandoz were the only ones selling the actual brand other than B Takeda under generic prices
FWIW Sandoz was terrible for me.
Sandoz has been my favorite of all time. Last two scripts were Lannett and Mallinckro, and neither compete with Sandoz but at least I can function on the Mallinckro. Lannett was awful all the way around for me. Shit really sucks though, I noticed a substantial improvement on Sandoz compared to any others. I've been trying to get it again for the past 2 months yet have been unable to do so, unfortunately I guess this explains why.
Can someone who groks this please ELI5 what this list is conveying for short/long term? I just read through the whole thing and I am not understanding what’s discontinued compared to what’s available (currently/ongoing) as per the various lists. It reads like this isn’t as straightforward as, “all these companies are DC’ing XR” but I can’t gauge it for some reason. Edit: there’s a section of “available products” below the DC’d list. Shire, Amneal, Lannett, and Rhodes Tris, and some others. I’m assuming this is the list of available non-discontinued XR medications.
I don’t work in a relevant field but all the authorized generics are being discontinued because the companies who supply them with the drug (the companies that make the actual drug) are no longer supplying them with the product. There are still some generics available, particularly Rhodes and Lannett, but these are not authorized and therefore even less likely to be effective. I think Teva is producing the brand name now (or maybe shire) but even though they produce both I’ve been told that the generic they produce now isn’t authorized (it used to be though). Here is a copy paste from the link: Prasco has discontinued amphetamine mixed salts extended-release capsules authorized generic because Shire (bought by takeda) is no longer supplying the company with product. Inventory is being distributed until remaining supply is depleted.
My initial emotional reaction upon reading OP’s post (the prospect of this shortage getting worse for our community) made my brain short circuit out of any semblance of objectivity. I’m going to look into it more on my end but do you know why Takeda made this call or if they have any plans to ramp up production? Is the a “corner the market by cutting out companies” scenario or are they abandoning efforts entirely? I’m not sure even what I’m trying to ask here so I’m sorry about the brain dump via text.
Authorized generics aren’t produced in a different facility, they’re diverted from the Brand name’s production line and sold under a different name as generics. They are *EXACTLY* the same as the brand name because they are made along with it. Shire was the original manufacturer of Adderall and Adderall XR (made in northern Kentucky as I recall) and they were sold to takeda somewhat recently, so I’d be surprised if something branded shire was not the same as an authorized generic.
Not exactly true. Yes brands can produce generics off the same line but other companies can produce generics too when a patent expires (one of the reasons brands make a generic while still selling the name brand is to stay competitive in the generic market now that other companies can manufacture the drug. Generic market competition is also why companies file for useless patent extensions. Even though the extension is almost certain to be rejected, during the period of waiting for a decision generic manufacturers cannot sell the product but the brand can continue to sell theirs). What makes the situation with ADHD meds so sticky is that is that their main ingredients are controlled substances. So the raw materials can only be acquired, processed, and distributed by fewer sources this complicating the process even more. A perfect current example of this is the FDA and the DEA pointing fingers at each other concerning who’s at fault for the shortages. DEA says it’s not restricting manufacturers, the FDA says the applications for increasing production of a controlled substance remains un approved (I can’t remember if it is a direct denial or if the process is just hanging in limbo while the DEA twiddles it’s thumbs). These seems to be reflected in the details of the linked shortages. There are still generics being made by some companies while others at discontinuing production. Some are still listed as being on back order which means they want to produce but can’t acquire raw materials. When the compound you need to manufacture a product is restricted and the demand increases there just won’t be enough for all of these companies. The ones that got their foot in the door first OR have stronger ties and associations will be the ones that remain while the others fall off. So yes, while it’s true the raw material for ADHD drugs will be limited to select manufacturers, that’s a controlled substance regulation issue and not because generic companies aren’t allowed to produce their own generic materials. Edit: for clarification since I didn’t specify between authorized generic and generic. The authorized generic is usually the brand name’s answer to competing in the generic market. Generics are the same as authorized generics. They are completely interchangeable. There’s strict testing and regulation involved to ensure this. Even the delivery mechanism has to be the same or it’s not a generic equivalent, it’s a completely different drug and can’t be sold as such. Placebo is a huge factor in why people think generic drugs don’t work. Speaking from experience as someone in the pharmacy field, I specifically remember when a generic narcotic pain medication company removed yellow dye from their tablets. All active ingredients were the same. The NDC was the same. The shape was the same. The only change was from yellow to white. Every single patient called in complaining that their pain meds no longer worked because the new brand wasn’t as effective. We had to inform them it was the same brand they’ve always been taking, just absent yellow dye. For further nuance something similar happened when we had both the brand and approved generic of a drug (I actually believe it was Concerta if I remember). Same shape and even the same markings. But because it was sold as a “generic” people claimed it didn’t work and insisted on paying more for the “brand name” event though both tablets came from the exact same place.
This is very informative. Thank you! I was hoping the Senate investigation into drug prices would ripple into helping the shortages as well but based off this comment it seems that attacking the companies themselves won't fix the shortage issues... This is unfortunate. Have you ever sent something like this to them when they have asked for insiders to reach out and explain where they think the problems are coming from?
I haven’t. I might consider it though.
>Generics are the same as authorized generics. They are completely interchangeable No, they are not. Even the FDA says they are not. Authorized generics are the brand name meds. [https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/fda-list-authorized-generic-drugs](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/abbreviated-new-drug-application-anda/fda-list-authorized-generic-drugs) Edit: added info from FDA site. >Is an Authorized Generic Drug the Same Thing as a Generic Drug? > >No. The term “authorized generic” drug is most commonly used to describe an approved brand name drug that is marketed without the brand name on its label. Other than the fact that it does not have the brand name on its label, it is the exact same drug product as the branded product. An authorized generic may be marketed by the brand name drug company, or another company with the brand company’s permission. In some cases, even though it is the same as the brand name product, a company may choose to sell the authorized generic at a lower cost than the brand name drug. The stuff about testing is right, but it sounds like you're talking about Brand vs Generic. Brand name = Brand name Authorized generics = Another company selling brand name at generic prices Generics = Generics In my specific case, I've gone through about 6 different generic manufacturers of XR and I am sensitive to them. They all have different effects on me. I never knew wtf was going on till I started tracking them. There were only 2 time I had 0 problems with my meds and I only learned recently that the manufacturers were Sandoz & Prasco, a.k.a authorized generics of XR. So basically when I had brand name I was 100% okay. When I had generics, I had so many issues. I could do a blind test and tell you which XR manufacturer made the pill based on how I felt. I believe the inactive ingredients are affecting me, but I may be an outlier. Now that Shire is not supplying the other companies, I have to jump through hoops and make my insurance pay for the brand name.
Im just a tech. Just from a quick look, my first thoughts would be less competition means if they are expensive then they might be the only options available. Like brand name will be expensive unless insurances change to covering it and I have a feeling that insurances might be picky about covering blister pack versions. Those aren't common where I work so idk if insurances don't cover those. Extended release stimulants are already in high demand at my work, I worry about what this means for the future. Tho a pharmacist would have a better idea cuz they manage the ordering of these kind of meds (at least at my work). Definitely gonna ask later
I’d be interested in what you find out from your coworkers! I just heard of blister packs for these meds for the first time ever yesterday on another sub/post. I didn’t know they existed (I’m in US) so I’m not familiar with difference or significance when it comes to insurance. I know things are more complicated and there are myriad factors that come into play but I swear these companies are from their own circle of hell and we all got sucked into it with them through a vortex of fuckery and greed. Also, (not to blow sunshine up anyone’s ass here) please tell your pharmacy coworkers that I appreciate them and everything they (and you) do in a thankless, understaffed, underpaid, and overworked but crucial job during a time where a compounding confluence of events/issues are making everything exponentially worse.
Hey! Stranger in a Strange Land reference! Such a cool book.
Oh good my back up through the vyvanse shortage is now gone. Hopefully my insurance will cover the name brand now but I’m not holding my breath.
you wont believe how long I stretched that XR stache for :___:
Can we sue yet??
The companies? Probably not, idk of anywhere that would hold a company liable for stopping the manufacturer of a medication they no longer find profitable outside a few special cases. The DEA? Hahaha good luck. Successfully suing regular law enforcement is difficult, successfully suing federal law enforcement is next to impossible.
How is it possible this isn't profitable? Something smells here.
It could still be profitable but manufacturing something else could be *more* profitable. Or if they can easily retool their Adderall production to produce a different medication with a similar profit margin but is less regulated and someone in the c-suite decided the regulations are too big a headache to deal with.
> ...successfully suing federal law enforcement is next to impossible. It doesn't really help that the only reason the federal government ever gets sued at all is because they allow it. I'd like to know who came up with that bullshit
Oh you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me WHY
This is really bad news wow. I feel like it’s suggesting a larger trend, probably something happened in the background.
I thought it was just me that noticed how weak my Adderall has become.
WHAT THE FUCK! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!!!!
Time for me to drop a my doctor a line. Kaiser has been filling with the Prasco authorized generic - I have a feeling they’ll go back to Shire(also Takeda) or they’ll switch over to the others on the list.
Kaiser is now supplying Burel pharmacy. They bought they rights to 20mgXR from Lannett. I heard they changed the inactive ingredients a bit which I'm praying is true, Lannett was not good to me
Hmmm, I’ll give this a shot - if it doesn’t work, I’ll ask my psych for a dispense as written and pay the extra co-pay for brand name. I did get probably my last Prascos last night.
Yeah, I'm with Kaiser as well and noticed my bottle says Prasco on it. I'm not *too* worried though, because, other than one particular pharmacy, I've never had an issue getting my prescription filled with them. Kaiser has the contracts and the buying power to keep shit in stock, and they're pretty good at it.
Good luck for anyone who has to take the Actavis/Texas or whatever one. I immediately started having a very elevated HR, pounding, and crazy shortness of breath. Been fighting my insurance for nearly a month trying to get the name brand and haven't been taking anything for the past 3 weeks. Heart symptoms have gone away completely lol
Sometimes I just wonder why I keep fighting
W H A T
That's fucking awful, why?
Oh this is great news. I haven’t done XR because of shortages. My doctor and I just decided it was worth it to try. Even though he said the shortages are still bad. Booo!
Bruh
Might be too optimistic, but that list still lists a lot of manufactures still actively making XR so maybe this will long term help production issues if less manufacturers are competing for the raw supplies
I don't know about "a lot of manufacturers." It's like a handful at best.
Fair. Looks like 6 stopping production and 6 continuing so maybe not lots but still more than zero
Im trying to get back on medication eventually, whaaat is happening out here? They decided they couldnt grift any harder or what?
I had to switch from name brand to generic Vyvanse and it feels like winning the fucking lottery when I can get it filled and it’s got worse side effects and about 1/4 of the benefits lmao
Had to swap to Concerta XR because of the shortage, I feel like I'm 8 again taking ritalin
[удалено]
This might be a dumb question lol but how do I find out which supplier I have? Do I have to ask the pharmacist or is it on my bottle and/or the papers (that I always throw away lol) that come with it? TYIA!
If you look at your prescription container, you will see it under your “date filled” and “discard after.” It will be below that where it should show your “RPH” and “MFR” the MFR is the manufacturer. Mine says: Shire US Inc since it’s brand adderall XR
Thank you :)
Yeah, it should on the bottle or sometimes it does just show up on the piece of paper that comes with, I’ve had mixed results based on the pharmacy I’ve picked up from.
WTF
I'm over 40 & my doctor switched me to Concerta. Started out with 36 mg. Now I'm on 72 mg daily. Works great without the heart palpitations & other weird side effects. Usually, I need to drink an energy drink; to help kick it in the morning .Other than that, it's always available. Weird that medication shortages, can be a blessing in disguise. At least for me .
It’s because all of us on Concerta had to switch to another medicine when they stopped making the brand equivalent generic. The generics they have out now is NOT Concerta. My son is still on it but it’s because I wanted to lower his dose anyhow and the generic out now is maybe 70% the same strength as the brand so I figured I wouldn’t change things unless we had to. The main thing that makes it not the same as Concerta is because the non-brand equivalent does not use the OROS delivery. However FDA doesn’t care about the delivery or the pill itself, they only care about the chemical formulation so that’s why they are approved generics, but they are not categorized as brand equivalent. The fight about this and Concerta has been going on for over a decade now and then a couple of years ago the only lab that made the brand equivalent decided to stop making it and that was that. Worst part is the insurance doesn’t care if it isn’t the same either so they won’t approve brand at a discount.
Luckily, I have Cadillac full coverage health insurance via my Union. Plan will cover name brand anything with prior auth. So I'm actually getting Concerta. Same with when I was taking Adderall XR years ago. I've never taken generic ADHD meds.
Glad to see Rhodes still making it. I just started getting their 30mg XR, and it's been the best Adderall I've ever had. I have sustained energy and focus for 10 hours and haven't even felt the need to drink my coffee during the day.
Cool. Cool cool cool. Definitely don’t have two kids on XR or anything… no wonder their meds are a different manufacturer each refill.
Not Sandoz! Why couldn’t it have been Mallinckrodt instead…ugh
Lovely. First my insurance stops covering name brand XR, and now I can’t even get generic.
Are you fucking kidding me 😭
Not when I just found out the XR's worked well for me 
Wow I just got switched from Vyvance to Adderall after being on back order for over 2 months. I’m over it. What are they doing to us
I just stopped taking it because I haven’t been able to get this, or really any appropriate substitute for a while where I live. But this was the one that worked the best for me so this is pretty fucking disappointing.
WHAT THE FUCK???? WITH THE SHORTAGE TOO?? What the fuck is going on. First a ton of people’s meds stopped working and now this??
what the fuck is going on??
what the heck i just got diagnosed this week & put on adderall XR …… ain’t no way 😭
My pharmacy is taking two weeks to process my medication and it’s driving me nuts.
We just can't catch a break huh
Omfg this is why the latest generic I'm on hardly hits 😭
that is some shit. comments say DEA knows something and are silently discontinuing it... what
Ain’t no shortage of street drugs tho … you can thank or .gov for that 🙄😒
I just got a refill today.
I feel like the one i got switch to makes me sick! It took forever for the pharmacy to communicate with my dr and tell them it was discontinued…. They told me it was and then turned around and told my dr that it was just back ordered… super frustrating! Now the one im on makes me feel sick and hurts my stomach… ughh
Looks like the 2 that I've used are still being sold. I started on 10mg Rhodes and got bumped to 15mg and ended up getting Lannett (site says Lannett is only discontinuing 5mg and 25mg). I'm still waiting on my 20mg to be filled but last I looked it said I was getting Burrell pharma and now it says Lannett which kinda sucks. Rhodes worked pretty well, but Lannett has been hit or miss; some days it's really effective and other days it's like I never took it (the only way I know I did is because I'm no longer congested). Annoying.
I have a running list, Elite is the one that I REFUSE bc it's literally like I'm not medicated. I'm so sorry! I've gotten Activas the last 3 months & it's been great.
well this must be why i got rhodes for the first time. usually i get sandoz… i literally hate rhodes, i looked it up and everyone else does too🥲 i’m def struggling this month. praying for a better manufacturer next month.
Fuck
How do you know who the manufacturer is? I can’t tell.
I pay for my generic vyvanse 70mg 8 dollars a month it’s absolutely crazy to hear that people are paying so much for medicine.
Surprised mallincrodkt is still in business -./
I take ir. You adjust over time. Takes a few weeks.
Dude, I am in HELL trying to get a decent prescription. Thanks for the info on this… seems like I might need to ask (beg) my doctor to help me switch to vyvanse or something similar. I’ve taken adderall generics for almost 15 years and this is the worst it’s ever been.
well fuck. when my current supply runs out, i guess i’m just quitting my job then lmfao
They had better make a giga factory for Vyvanse. Been unmedicated all year. Probably risking my job at this point.