The Government Is Making It Easier to Get (Some) ADHD Medication

If you have a sense that a growing number of people have been getting diagnosed with ADHD, you’re not imagining things — the number of people diagnosed with the condition is indeed on the rise. That’s good news for people for whom a new diagnosis can mean improved quality of living. Where things get a little trickier has to do with the medication prescribed for people with ADHD, which has been experiencing shortages.

It makes sense: if there’s a finite amount of medication and more people who need it, there’s a fundamental problem of supply and demand. That’s what’s led the Drug Enforcement Agency to update its guidelines this week on the amount of certain ADHD medication — specifically, Vyvanse —that can legally be produced.

In formal terms, the DEA announced that it is “adjusting the 2024 aggregate production quota for the schedule II controlled substances lisdexamfetamine and d-amphetamine (for conversion).” As Beth Mole explained at Ars Technica, the DEA is able to regulate this medication due to its classification as a Schedule II drug.

The previous production quota for lisdexamfetamine was 26,500 kilograms. Following the DEA’s announcement, that has been increased to 32,736 kilograms.

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As Christina Caron reported at The New York Times, the DEA factored in guidance from the FDA in updating its guidelines. There’s one big caveat here, though: Vyvanse isn’t the only medication used to treat ADHD, and it’s led medical professionals to keep their fingers crossed that more changes are on the way.

“I hope they are planning for similar production increases for other stimulants,” psychiatrist Dr. David Grunwald told the Times. We’ll see what the coming months have in store.