Where's My Adderall? Stubborn Drug Shortage Spurs Federal Inquiry, as Founders Fret

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As the country's shortage of prescription drugs drags on, the federal government is looking for answers. Specifically: Where are all the (typically) less-expensive generics--from cancer medications to Adderall-like stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) on Wednesday sent a joint request to pharmaceutical companies and group purchasing organizations, or GPOs, in an effort to get to the bottom of the shortages. GPOs are middlemen that negotiate prices between providers and manufacturers.

"When you're prescribed an important medication by your doctor, and you learn the drug is out of stock, your heart sinks," Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, said in the public request. "This devastating reality is the case for too many Americans who need generic drugs for ADHD, cancer, and other conditions."

The Federal Drug Administration first announced a shortage of ADHD medication, including Adderall, in October 2022. According to the National Community Pharmacists Association, 97 percent of independent pharmacy owners reported shortages of Adderall in early 2023.

The continued shortage of these medications is particularly accute for the entrepreneurial community. Studies have found that entrepreneurs index higher for ADHD, which can cause impulsiveness, impatience, and inattentiveness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Many highly successful founders have opened up about their ADHD diagnosis, including Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, and JetBlue founder David Neeleman, as Inc. has reported.

"If you're super interested in a topic, you can go really deep, so deep that you block out everything else," serial entrepreneur Mark Suster told Inc. about his experience with ADHD last year. "That's what people don't know about ADHD--you can develop hyperfocus, but only for things that interest you."

For founders running companies, that "hyperfocus" can be a good thing, says Noah Neiman, 39, co-founder of Rumble Boxing, a New York City-based fitness company with over 75 studios globally. He credits his personal experiences with ADHD as part of the reason he started the company.

After being diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, it took him years and lots of battles with medication to find a way to harness the extra energy he's always had and funnel it into something productive--like his company.

"I started a gym because of my life experiences," Neiman says. "I had all this of energy, but struggled with how to properly use it for good."

The public will have 60 days to submit comments on the request, the FTC notes.

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