Hannah Huxford, a 49-year-old woman from Grimsby diagnosed with ADHD two years ago, is among thousands of patients facing a national shortage of ADHD medication. Mrs. Huxford, who has been unable to obtain her medication since October 2023, describes the situation as a “huge worry” as the medicine significantly improves her ability to function and concentrate. The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges some challenges in the supply chain and has taken action, but issues persist. ADHD UK estimates that around 150,000 people are affected by the shortage, caused by manufacturing problems and increased demand. The government issued a Patient Safety Alert in September 2023, warning of potential stock issues until December 2023, while ADHD UK anticipates shortages continuing until April 2024.
Have you or someone you know experienced challenges in accessing essential medications, and what measures do you think should be taken to address and prevent such shortages in the future?
I wish i had a solution to offer to combat such situations. Having an agreement with other countries that would ensure that whenever one country is short of a specific drug, then the other one could help and provide some? The only solution i can think about, really
This is a cause for concern. Although mental health is becoming more and more talked about, I still think the NHS institutionally places less importance on it and therefore things like these shortages are down played because it’s not ‘physical’ health; despite it being just as important.
