UPDATE FROM ME (JEN): We shot this in May. After several more frustrating phone calls, my doctor and I switched my prescription to a different medication. I'm grateful and lucky to be able to do that. I don't think my new meds work as well as my old ones, but I'm relieved to at least be able to treat my ADHD. Solidarity with others going through similar difficulties!
Jen! I have the same exact perscription and I think I live in a similar area! Have you tried the sunset/western target? Longest I had to wait was a day!
I’m happy for you Jen! My husband goes through this each month. This month I went to 5diff pharmacies to help him out. At the 6th he went and he found it. 😅 good luck to everyone!!! ❤
I have not been able to raise my med dose for bipolar and have needed it for 11 months now =_=, I have been to seek inpatient treatment but that didn´t work I just sat in the waiting room for 8 hours... I´m barely functioning.
Former pharmacy tech here. Calling can be a hard to check on these types of medications because they are also heavily abused. Frequently, if you call to check on this type of medication they will tell you they don’t have it in stock even if they do.
Hi, pharmacist here! First of all, thank you so much Jen for not taking your frustrations out on the pharmacy workers. I completely understand how hard and down right annoying it is to try and find these meds right now. To the person from the last pharmacy's credit, there was one manufacturer who discontinued their generic Concerta production but that was even before this shortage. Lastly, for people who may be switched to Vyvanse and find that it's super expensive even with insurance: the company who produces Vyvanse has patient assistance coupons on its website that you can use along with your commercial insurance to bring the price down. It might only take off $50 but any saved money is good, right? That's true for most brand name medications because the company wants you to use its medications and will help you pay for them if that's what it takes! ☺️
Thank you for sharing about the patient assistance coupons on certain drug manufacturers' websites! Manufacturer coupons are the main reason my mom's intense allergy meds are attainable. Every little really does help, especially for medications taken regularly.
I'm a diabetic who has faced the same problem getting weekly insulin. I feel your pain. Also: thank you for highlighting how frustrating those damn automated phone "answering" recordings are.
I was a pharmacy tech for 3 years. I really appreciate Jen not taking out her frustration on the pharmacy workers because trust me we hate it too! Most of us want to get people their medications! My recommendation that I always used to give was always call pharmacy near retirement communities because they are huge and grocery store pharmacies because they fill ALOT less. So for anyone else going through this I’m sorry, I hope it gets resolved soon and try those options.
Yes! My tiny pharmacy is surrounded by nursing homes and assisted living facilities so his clients are mostly elderly. The common adhd and psych meds, he always has. And common kids meds too. Great tip!
Thank you for talking about how even 'normal' mental illnesses can be physically dangerous to both you and others; I feel like it's somehow taboo to talk about but I also feel like talking about it helps clarify the difference between "haha I got distracted once by my friend and missed my turn" and "I have spent a small fortune over the last several years due to car accidents"
Seriously! I dont drive. I would like to, but I have fears about my capability to do so safely due to various mental and physical health issues. I have people in my life who would first and formost describe me as a klutz, dont trust me with powertools, and just roll their eyes when I fall or hurt myself because its so normal, and yet, they dismiss my fears about driving as irrational. Dismissing very much legitimate fears as irrational doesnt help me and if I should learn to drive when I have problems people will dismiss it as me being a bad driver and needing to try harder, as thats what they do with everything. I drop my phone often, and Im told off for not caring more about my things. I leave the house without things? Better tell me off for not being more focused. I bump into someone? I need to pay better attention. So on and so forth while ignoring I have actual conditions that list trouble with motor skills, memory, and concentration among other things as symptoms. But because there is fluctuations people dont put it together.
Yes, this exactly! And even when untreated mental illness isn't dangerous, it can be super expensive. I take Vyvanse, which was $30 a month for the first year, then it hiked up to $75. It's still cheaper than untreated binge eating disorder.
Without my son's ADHD medication he gets so frustrated he becomes aggressive. He needs his medication to get through the day. For whatever reason, be it lack of education, people don't understand how debilitating ADHD can be.
I've been on Armour or similar for over a decade and the thyroid struggle is real. I've been on NP thyroid for a few years and now the only headache is when they get confused why I have two scripts for the same med at different dosages. There was a period where I had to get it compounded because I flat out could not find it at any dose.
I used to work as a triage nurse and spent my days helping patients with finding pharmacies that had stimulant medication. Here in Minnesota I had the best luck with pharmacies that were associated with a healthcare system. If you're struggling to find a pharmacy you can always try calling and talking with your doctor's nurse. She might be able to help with this process.
@@mkwoodstock When you talk with pharmacies ask how many times a day they request your medication from the supplier. Big box pharmacies usually only call once after-hours. The ones attached to healthcare systems call multiple times a day. I have had good experiences with Allina and Fairview pharmacies. They do run out but usually get supplies every week or every few weeks.
I live in rural northern Minnesota, both kids and my husband have adhd. While I’ve had no issues with my kids getting their meds, my husband had to wait 5 weeks. He finally called and talked to our local clinic’s nurse line, and they were so helpful. He hasn’t had any issues since.
I second this advice! I've been extremely lucky to be able to get both two different versions of adderal and vyvanse without any issues through the entire pandemic because I go through a major healthcare conglomerate in my area. They have the pull to always have the meds in stock. It's very inconvenient in terms of hours, but I'd rather deal with that than not get my meds. Definitely try to do this if you have the option!
I’m having the same exact problem with my ADHD meds in South Carolina. It’s ridiculous. I could understand if the medications were extremely expensive to produce but they’re dirt cheap. It’s Big Pharma and it’s FRUSTRATING! It took me years to get a diagnosis and now that I finally got put on the correct medication, I’m having to search all over town to find it. Another downside to the shortage is that if you’re prescribed a controlled substance and you get them filled at different pharmacies, you get put on the “Drug Seeker List” in the government’s main database for pharmacies and you’ll be labeled like that for the rest of your life. Thankfully my psychiatrist knows about the shortage and knows I’m not drug seeking.
The wild thing is that this goes even higher than big pharma. This shortage, in particular, is a result of the DEA not changing the manufacturing limits for these medications, despite an increase in ADHD diagnoses and number of people on stimulant medications. When the shortage first became evident last year, many people, including doctors and pharmacists, urged them to increase the limit and they did nothing.
@@meganconklin2679yes! You’ll never find me defending big pharma, but this shortage is fully the government’s fault for not increasing the amount that can be produced. I’m sure big pharma is also seething that they’re missing out on the $$$ money they’d be making by manufacturing/selling more!
After having been on hold with walgreens for almost 30 minutes trying to find my ADHD meds, I hear the music from #9 in my dreams. They literally replay the "we're sorry. all our pharmacists are answering other calls" message EVERY 20 SECONDS. LITERALLY. I TIMED IT.
My mom has taken the same medication for about 22+ years now for her rheumatoid arthritis. She still has to convince insurance that she needs it every few months. The same goes for the maker of the medication. She has to provide substantial proof that she needs the medication. They give her the runaround every single damn time! And when they finally do agree to cover it they will only pay $2000 of it for the whole year… that’s, like, a little more than a month of it. So every time they say that she then has to convince them to pay it in full. So then they extend their payment to a few months. And once their few months are up the prescription needs to be filled again and the song and dance happens all over again. Did I mention that at any moment the supplier could just decide she doesn’t need it and refuse to fill the prescription and insurance can decide they don’t want to pay for it at all… both of those things have happened before and the result is her being in chronic pain for months. The American healthcare system sucks. How dare the even call it health”care”.
Ok not trying to sell shrooms but have you looked into Mark Cuban’s cost plus drugs pharmacy? They have some of those specialized meds way cheaper, the immunologic meds were one of their first areas of focus.
This has been my reality for my son for the past year until finally I could no longer find my son's medication and his doctor had to change it. I would have to call at least 20 different pharmacies every single month. It was exhausting and stressful.
I am a special education teacher, and SO MANY of my students are unable to find or get access to their medication, and it can be completely debilitating for them. I empathize with you! I hope you’re able to find something that works well and isn’t too difficult to get refilled!
Please keep making more videos on ADHD. I am diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety and don’t feel great about having to take my stupid medication and your guy’s energy and knowledge about meds helps me feel good about taking it again!
When I got diagnosed with my (multiple) chronic issues, one of my biggest struggles was taking the meds every day. I would literally take hours to take them bc I just didn't want to. Now, 3 years later, I have worked a ton on acceptance and although it still sucks, I just take my meds and get it over with. It all takes time and I feel for you
So I literally did this earlier this week. My husband called 5 place I called 3. I decided to look for a place that was in a secluded retirement area and I actually found it! It was 30 minutes from where I lived but hey we got it.
Yup. I've been completely unmedicated for 2 months now, to disastrous consequences at work. I will (most likely) eventually be fired. I am at the point where I'm afraid to even try to get medication because stopping it so suddenly was harder than not being on it at all. Sorry to everyone who is going through this. ❤️
I hope this changes for you soon and you will be able to keep your job, maybe even find someone in HR to talk about it so that they know. All the best!
I lucked out in that my doctor insisted on sending in refills of my adderall while I was unemployed even though I choose to only take it on workdays, so when I got a job and started taking it again right as the shortage hit, I had a small stockpile to get me through. I can't imagine how hard that would have been if I had a doctor who was less foresighted, or who trusted me less.
As someone young with ADHD and a new driver I’m veeery happy someone finally talked about driving. I love driving but I’m still nervous about driving because of distractions. I happy to hear that it’s not just me with the problem. No one I know with ADHD that I know has the same problem..
Luckily the newer cars have lane assist and auto braking if you get too close . The salesman was showing me how to turn them off and I told him I don't need to know
The pharmacies cannot keep it stocked because the pharmaceutical companies cannot acquire the ingredients. The ingredients are blocked by the government, they put a cap on how much of certain ingredients can be produced and sold. Because they are considered controlled substances. The change needs to happen through the government. A huge amount of people, adults mostly, were newly diagnosed over lockdown, so there's a larger demand for the meds. I feel your pain. My dr said to call around also, but many pharmacies will not fill your scrip if you are not an existing customer. They won't say it up front but if you notice, one of their first questions has been "Do you already have your prescriptions filled here?"
As a pharmacy technician, I can tell you that this is because the DEA tracks what we fill. If we fill too high of a percentage of controls without other maintenance meds, they flag us as a potential pill mill.
Jen trying to get the automated robot voice to connect her to a human being is a MOOD, and it's how I've felt every time I've called the pharmacy since January, when my insurance decided they would only cover generic and I had to start calling multiple pharmacies a month...only to be put on hold and then told they don't have it and haven't for a while. It's one of the most frustrating things I've ever experienced.
My stepdaughter recently got diagnosed with ADHD earlier this yeah. She was put on a trial period of her first medications and it worked great for her. Didn't even get the dip in appetite and it happened quickly. She has an excellent week in school, she started making relationships with her peers, and she was super happy that she was able to make better decisions more easily and we talked about it and how it made her feel. Then we couldn't get her medication for 2 weeks, and this was stretching it as far out as we possibly could. I could see the frustration from not being on it. Her relationships deteriorated quickly, she got suspended, and other bodily issues. We finally got it filled with a pharmacy connected to her pediatrician and they can get it ordered pretty quickly because it's connected to a hospital. We quickly switched it over and thankfully haven't had an issue since, but her pediatrician gave us a couple dosages in advance to try to help remedy it.
I had the same issue with ozempic which I needed for my diabetes and everyone else was using it for weight loss. I just wanted to live and it was so hard to even get my meds that would help me stay alive.
Dr Mike did a video on this. What's shocking is that the DEA don't even have clinitian staff. They're just law enforcement making the rules for what should be regulated without any medical knowledge. Because some medications have crossover ingredients, other medications are also affected as they're unable to get supplies in. The DEA also limit production to only a few labs . It's genuinely disgusting that they're knowingly causing preventable health issues.
I work in behavioral health and this is causing so many problems for patients. Finding a med that works is so hard. Being forced to change your meds frequently or go without them due to shortages is some true evil capitalism. It throws off people's lives and wellbeing so much
Thank you for making this. I've been complaining on my socials about this all year but I don't think a lot of non ADHD people truly understand what we've been going through so being able to point to this video and show them is going to be really helpful.
I love Jenn including the driving example of how having ADHD/not having access to medication causes tangible issues in their life. ADHD is one of those invisible illnesses whose symptoms most people think they relate to and as a result there's a lot of dismissal of it being a very real, debilitating illness vs being something you can just "try harder" at.
I never clicked on something so fast. My doctor had to change my prescription for the moment so I could get the same result by taking multiple pills of a lower dosage that add up to what my dosage normally is. Because my regular dosage is never in stock. It feels wild that I have to call around to pharmacies looking for my medication & then have to ask my doctor to change my prescription & thank god she trusts me to be the messenger for these pharmacies.
I'm on Vyvanse and its a great medication. I had the hardest time get my medication filled at pharmacies because I either had the shortage issue or I had the overtly cautious pharmacist who was like "I don't know If I should fill this medication because my religious beliefs are..blah blah blah." So I chose to go with ExactCare Pharmacy and it is a home delivery system of medication that delivers nationwide. So, now I call my doctor monthly to get the script to ExactCare and they fill it without delay. Maybe this can help you Jen with ExactCare Pharmacy. They are out of Ohio and deliver with a signature your medication directly at work or at home, whichever is easier for you. Hope this helps.
this is so real!!!!!!!!! edit to add example: at one of my doctor appointments I was explaining to the physician's assistant like "the rest of my prescriptions I fill at x grocery store but they aren't even trying to get adderall right now so i've been filling just that one at the walgreens on-" and she basically shushed me and told me not to tell people or that location would start to be out of it too. there weren't even many people in earshot and I doubt a high % of them also had ADHD but she must be hearing complaints about the shortage a Lot
This is insane to me as a finnish person. They don’t have my adhd medication at the closest pharmacy to me on hand, because it’s honestly really rare to use it (you have to try all the other ones first before you can get this one due to it having potential for wrongful use) and nobody pretty much buys it but me. All the previous adhd meds I’ve tried they have always had it. They can just order it for me and it comes in two days, but usually I’m already out and have to go to the pharmacy that always has it, which is like 10 minutes away with a tram from my place. I also think it is insane that prescription meds can apparently cost more at different pharmacies in the us? That is literally like not allowed over here. Also the goverment covers automatically 40% of the usual prescription meds and 100% of insulin and if you spend 590€ on meds before the year ends all future prescription buys for that year only cost you 2.50€, no matter what size box you get and the original price. It’s pretty neat.
I'm really glad you're highlighting this issue. My meds have been a scramble to get and I just had to change to a different pill that I have to take multiple times throughout the day. It's so stressful. ALSO to make things worse, these drugs are restricted , so I can only get them refilled when I'm out of them
I'm on the same medication as Jen, and I've been dealing with this struggle every month for a while. I've called my congresspeople, but they don't particularly care. It's super frustrating and harmful to the health of so many people, and this all could have been avoided with better policies around ADHD meds. Here's hoping everyone in charge get their acts together soon.
Those last two pharmacies were Walgreens. I just know it. Thank you for sharing your experiences and shedding more light on this issue! I take Adderall and have been lucky enough to get my prescription filled around 1/3 of the time since the shortage started. (But I’m also SO lucky in the fact that I’m currently between jobs and don’t have a higher demand for it like I normally would!) I hope they get this nonsense figured out ASAP. Also we need Medical for All or a single payer system.
PSA 1: GoodRX is a real discount tool. When I didn't have insurance it brought my meds from like 200 to 70 a month. Also, It's so interesting to hear how different it is for another state (I'm in Washington.) I also take methylphenidate ER, but luckily the longest shortage I had was a week. I had to switch pharmacies to get it, but I was able to find one after 3 or 4 calls (and by me, I mean my partner cause I did not have the mental energy to call around.) One good thing was the new one actually cost me less with my insurance so that was a nice surprise. Note: it was a CVS in Target that had it.
I'm so glad you're talking about this problem! I want to watch this, and saved it for later; but the title alone is so close to my personal experience that I viscerally feel the stress this shortage has caused. Maybe Monday - when work has inevitably burst my wellness bubble - I am excited to use this video as an escape! Me, my spouse, and our teen all have adhd and have been medicated for a decade+. This issue has disrupted my life family and the symptoms of ADHD make it feel impossible to navigate the process of finding meds. I'd equate it to a crutches shortage and then making all the people with foot casts to walk on their recently broken and casted feet to every medical supplier in a large city to find the crutches they need to walk without painful and arduous dificulty. Not impossible, but obscenely ridiculous given the specific nature of their need. I really appreciate you two for advocating about it!
Two birds, one stone: Try to find a pharmacy to fill your prescription while you're filming a video for work. That must have helped with motivation! AND you had your "body double." I wish I could do work and pharmacy-hunting at the same time! I'm so reluctant to give up my prime focus/work hours for pharmacy hunting... but I need to. And I need to be willing to make phone calls, drive new places, and disrupt my routine. My routine is as vital to my ADHD management as my meds are. -_- I'd better gear up for phone-related homework before my next visit with my prescriber. This last time, I was able to get my ADHD prescription filled quickly! But I was visiting my parents, using my hometown pharmacy. The two times before that, I had no such luck. Went two months without my usual pharmacy being able to fill my prescription. Those leftover doses from taking most weekends off only go so far... I'm an editor. Ever try proofreading as an ADHDer with no meds? It's HARD. I used two fidget toys at once (while also wiggling my feet) and took frequent breaks. I got through... but sheesh. And that's just the effect on work. Going without meds means some of my favorite activities, like journalling, became difficult chores. Someone explain to the people in charge that Adderall and other ADHD meds save livelihoods, relationships, and lives.
Sister of a pharmacy tech here… in order to avoid having to pay full price for a drug your insurance doesn’t cover, you can request your doctor to submit a “formulary exception” and you might get it approved!!! More info below and I hope it helps anyone who needs it!! Thank you for highlighting this SIGNIFICANT ISSUE!!! ❤
ADHD meds are no joke. My son has been going through it for a YEAR because of the national shortages. My son has been forever to change every month basically for the past year because they are all out. It’s so sad everyone is being denied
@@faeriesmak correct! However, my son off meds completely is a risk to himself. Without any he’s VERY impulsive and doesn’t think of danger in the moment. Like seeing a snake near by and in the moment grabbing it because he wants to know the colors to look it up later. Or running out into the street because a hall rolled by and he impulsively thinks I’ll grab it to help them and there Is oncoming traffic. He also can’t focus enough to get through school and in turn he gets depressed and frustrated because he just wants to be able to focus like everyone else. When he’s off meds kids make fun of him because of the ways he copes are obvious and they are mean. One kid last year in 1st grade told him that everyone hates him because he is ADHD so he should kill himself. You have NO idea the struggles he faces with no medications. Either way is terrible and never a win for us parents for our kids who are ADHD and can’t speak for themselves. I know the lesser of two evils for my son is to have some help because that is what he wants and he knows his body best.
❤I love you two and seeing your vids pop up on Fridays makes me SMILE! Update: uhhhh yaaa I need to get checked if I have ADHD. The getting distracted while driving has got worse for me. Yaaaaaaa no. No bueno
I haven't had my ADHD medication since November 2022. I changed jobs which resulted in moving to a new city, which resulted in a new doctor, and they were unable to find the Adderall XR in any of the pharmacies locally. In March, I lost my job, so I have just been coping as best I can in the interim. I am hoping something happens soon. I have been on ADHD medication since I was 8-years old, and have tried going away from a stimulant medication (for health reasons) but to no avail - I guess when your brain is accustomed to a medication it wants THAT medication. I truly feel for everyone who is unable to get their medication and "feel normal" because it definitely takes a toll on relationships, professional life, etc. Here's hoping that the collective "we" can band together and hopefully get something done. Sending lots of love to everyone out there who is just trying to get by - we got this friends!!!!!
i'm on vyvanse as well and i always have to call up pharmacies in the days leading up to my refill date to make sure someone's got it lol. it's super frustrating - I have several friends who had to switch to it from adderall and I'm like 'great...good for you...please move to another town so you don't take pills from me' 😂 i hope that this gets super solved once the generic comes out in august
@@CaitlynSpencer yeah, should be! That’s when the original guys exclusivity is up or w/e and like 5 diff companies have their generic versions ready to launch as soon as it’s legal to do so. Good news for everybody!!
@@CaitlynSpencer yep! The patent which gives them exclusivity is expiring soon, I remember when I was on vyvanse I looked up when that 5 year patent was going to be up. 😂
So I have done exactly this for patients for ADHD meds and for pain meds! You have a better chance at the beginning of the month, and maybe check pharmacies in grocery stores? Less ppl think of going to them. You got this!
I have ADHD and the best luck I've ever had was Costco pharmacy. So many people think you need a Costco card for it but you don't need it for the pharmacy. I try not to tell everyone this but I feel so bad for everyone struggling to find meds. this is my #1 ADHD med hack.
I can fully understand your situation here because I work as a Pharmacy Technician at my local pharmacy, and even now depending on the medication we can only get enough for the people who've been with us and can't get more for new costumers.
The authorized generic of Concerta (which was brand name Concerta, sold as generic) was discontinued in January 2023. That is what the last pharmacy was referring to. Janssen continues to manufacture the brand name, Concerta but the loss of the authorized generic Concerta was a massive hit to availability.
Jen, you did way better than I would have. I would've gotten through maybe 3 calls, then given up. I'd straight up risk heart complications and a major depressive episode rather than call that many people in a day, but thats on needing therapy lol. I wish you luck on your medication journey
I’m a social worker and it’s like literally my job to help people do this stuff but then when my meds were out and they told me to call around I did not have the energy to make these calls. My friend helped me out because I jsut wanted to give up 😅
omg i take the exact same med and dosage and am going thru the exact thing rn i have to call pharmacies today to find ANY dosage and im NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT and then this showed up on my homepage. i feel less alone thank u jen -a fellow nb lesbian with adhd
I’ll be honest, I used to work in pharmacy and meds like ADHD medication is a control substance and I wouldn’t say over the phone if we had controls in stock because it increased risk of being robbed. We were held at gun point once and told to empty the control medicine cabinet. I realize when there’s a shortage of a necessary medication it is inconvenient going from store to store trying to find it, but I just wanted to explain why you might have trouble finding it over the phone.
I dealt with a similar issue yesterday. I've been having a hell of a time getting Walgreens to refill my antidepressants, and yesterday I went to the pharmacy at 4:15 to talk to someone. Everyone had taken the day off for some odd reason, and the pharmacy was closed.
I’ve been off my meds for many months because of this. Thanks for spreading awareness. It was taking me an average of two full workdays each month to find my meds. It was infuriating. Then I would come off of them for weeks waiting to fill. Then back on. I finally just stopped. It was killing me mentally. But now everything in my life is piled up and not taken care of.
I take Concerta and it’s definitely not discontinued since I just picked some up. Shitty that they said that. I’m in Canada though so the shortage hasn’t been as intense as I hear in the states. Hope it works out!
I have experience in this topic! Like, its my job! I do see you said you shot this in May, I assume right before the Vyvanse problems started, since Vyvanse shortages really started becoming a nationwide problem in late May. Where I work, they're currently estimating the Vyvanse shortage may clear up around early July, but then again they've been saying the generic Adderall shortage would clear up 'next month' since last August. I wrote a lot after this so I'll put the most important info up front: Your insurance can't check what's in stock at local pharmacies, and sometimes local pharmacies even refuse to talk to them about what they keep in stock so they may not even be able to help you call pharmacies to check. If your insurance offers a home delivery benefit, they may be able to check the home delivery pharmacy's backorder list since usually the surface level home delivery stuff is also managed by the insurance customer service reps on the pharmacy side. Also for people who didn't realize, cos I didn't before I worked in the industry, the majority of American plans divide medical and pharmacy into two entirely separated departments. If you don't know who manages your pharmacy benefits, since it might not be the same company that manages your medical benefits, I recommend calling and asking your insurance so you know before you need that information. EDIT: I realized I didn't explain - you CAN get your controlled medications via home delivery/mail order pharmacies. State laws will vary and also what your doctor is willing to do will vary, but a lot of insurance plans will cover them that way if your plan has a home delivery pharmacy they use with your benefits. But home delivery pharmacies also are having backorder issues. It is just another option to try though. (Also with getting them from the mail keep in mind it is at the mercy of the mail, and various laws can make shipping times take longer. So it's not a great option, but its a possible option to get something.) Shortages for the generic of Adderall started in some areas last August, and became more and more widespread as time went on, to where it was affecting pretty much every part of the US by December. Brand name Adderall had some shortage issues in December and January, but now most people are reporting that their pharmacies have that in stock...but no insurance plan wants to cover it. You have to do a prior authorization or sometimes even an appeal to get the brand name covered (prior authorization = the plan covers it under certain circumstances and needs your doctor to clarify if you meet those circumstances, appeal = the plan doesn't cover it and you are requesting they make an exception to cover it due to various reasons, or the prior authorization was denied because you don't meet the prior authorization requirements and you're asking the plan to make an exception to those requirements in your case), and if you have a deductible it most likely won't be allowed to bypass that even if it is approved. Early on in the shortage plans were being a bit more lenient with brand name Adderall, accepting prior authorizations that said 'there's a shortage, please cover this' even if brand name Adderall was typically excluded from coverage, but then they also caught on to Vyvanse and were like 'no no, we want people to switch to Vyvanse as their backup instead!' So there are a lot of plans who are starting to cover Vyvanse without needing a prior authorization, and the ones that do need a prior authorization its often easier to get it covered as long as the doctor says they're requesting it due to the shortage. (Note: it's not necessarily easy, just easier than it was before this nonsense started.) But again if you have a deductible, most plans aren't having Vyvanse bypass it. Because American Health Insurance is for profit and doesn't care about you and I promise you the customer service workers that work there hate them as much as you do. But of course, since insurance has decided they prefer Vyvanse to brand name Adderall, that is pushing a lot of people to switch, which is causing Vyvanse shortages now. Fun! Meanwhile because plans are being more friendly towards Vyvanse, they're now being far less friendly towards getting coverage for brand name Adderall, which has made it a nightmare for people to get that approved. If the Vyvanse shortage persists, I do suspect that could change again, but its probably not going to change before July. And all that is assuming you have a plan that's willing to try. Because there's also a ton of plans out there that just do not care at all and will only do as much as the law requires them to, not a step more. I would still recommend calling your insurance and asking them what advise they have based on your plan though. The worst that will happen is you stay right where you started after all. Best case scenario, you get some additional options.
I felt this video so hard 😭 this has been my life since December. And i totally relate to the look on jens face at the end when she said she felt like shes been punched in the nuts. Its so disheartening and scary to think you're not gonna get your meds at all. Ive been taking about half the amount of Adderall im prescribed because i can only get my meds filled every other month. It makes every day life so much harder. One of my big side effects of ADHD is constantly being exhausted. I can fall asleep anywhere without it. And feel like im constantly walking through a fog unless im manic. Its been really hard.
THIS. I'm supposed to be taking 45mg of Adderall XR by taking a 30mg and a 15mg daily but I've been rationing and only taking 30mg because I've only been able to fill my prescription twice this year and it wasn't even the entire thing both times. I'm still waiting for the 15mg bottle from my last prescription and have no idea when it'll come in. >.
@See Sarah Saw I'm so sorry 💔 I prescribed 40ml a day. 20 extended and then two 10 instants. Its like I either can have one or the other. But rarely get both filled. I actually was able to get them both filled for the first time this month since December. But I'm still afraid to take my full prescription. Still trying to save it just in case, because I genuinely can't function if I run out.
This is the exact med I take for my ADHD and I spent 2 and a half months trying to get it recently. I was also dealing with dumb crap with Medicaid (they thought I had primary insurance which I do not). I paid out of pocket for it twice at the beginning of the year but I'm pretty broke right now and even with a GoodRx coupon it isn't that cheap. I can't tell you how much phone tag I've done in the last few months just to get my meds and being without makes this all so much harder. 😵💫
only the LA version does that to me personally, the standard release methylphenidate is completely fine. I have some weird tolerance for any psychoactive medications so I take a pretty high dose to feel anything, but with the LA version even the lower 20mg dose gives me about 15 minutes of clarity followed immediately by sweats and four hours of nausea. Weird how bodies work. only downside of the standard release is that you have to remember to take it twice instead of once, but I tend to set things up for myself in moments of activity so that they're physically unavoidable when the time comes.
Again, thank you for sharing stuff like this. I’ve been thinking about getting on adhd meds recently but have some hesitations, including insurance. I’ve always struggled with “adulting” so it’s nice to get tips and tricks haha. But anyways, I hope you get some good news soon, good luck!! ❤
I adore you both! Something I’ve been thinking about as a fellow person with ADHD is: can we do some sort of organized action? The FDA is dropping the ball. Idk what else to do. I’d go out of my way to show up with folks who want to demand a change because this is a super serious issue, really. It has significant life changing consequences for so many of us. Idk just a thought! Not sure where to start with that but I’ll bring my tent to camp out for weeks until this gets better haha. I’m worried it’s only going to get worse and it feels intentional
As someone with severe adhd I understand. I had been on adderall since 2011 (I was ten) just had to change to vyvanse because I was off my adderall for I think 10 weeks. I can’t do any other medication because they don’t work at all and my insurance didn’t cover vyvanse. I can’t afford all of my physical health issues meds and for my mental health. Now I have to get my family to pay for my meds which effect my mental health because we don’t have that kind of money. I can’t physically work more hours with my nerve damage in my back (I’m 21 and most likely getting back surgery this summer). I just want to be able to function (at the point that I might fight insurance and medical professionals like I could even do that). I just want allistics to understand
This is one of the reasons having a chronic illness is a full-time job. No one knows how much wrok it is to stay on top of everything. Glad you found an alternative, Jen.
The memory thing explains so much! I'm fairly certain I am undiagnosed ADHD and have always had trouble making memories. I have a great memory for facts but not events. The time travel analogy is also very descriptive of my existence.
My husband takes the same medication and has gone through the same procedure every single month. So far he’s been able to find it after between 20 and 50 calls to various pharmacies. I really hope this ends soon, and something gets figured out.
I have a video idea! What if you did a Lil Food Fight: Frozen Treat edition? You could make your own popsicles or make ice cream using the rock salt/ice/shaking method! I think that would be great, especially since it's summer now and it's really hot where I live.
So far my brothers adderall has been getting filled on a regular basis each month, which we are grateful it has. My son has Inattentive ADHD and takes Vyvanse as it’s a dual purpose medication as it’s used for people who suffer from binge eating disorder. Even though my son doesn’t have BED , It’s been a life saver for him as his signals in his brain don’t work correctly and he’s never full. Has been like this since birth. The meds for the first time for him knows what it means to be full. We have been in the works with genetic specialists and had the 1st round of testing , just waiting for results as it can take 2-3 months. He has a 2nd round of blood work to be done once we get the 1st round back. I do not want this medication to be on shortage as this literally is saving himself from eating himself to death.
Relatable! My practice as a neurodivergence guide in the last year has turned into "coach people who are used to having meds on how to process the emotions of not having meds and adjust their routines for a new reality." 😭 I've been lucky enough to only have mine (the generic of That Drug that you take twice a day) unavailable a couple of months, but everyone in LA seems to be unable to get it, and same for Seattle. Sending love and crossed fingers to everyone who's struggling right now!
I’m a pharmacist so I feel your pain right now. I work in a lower volume location in a chain pharmacy and we have a little bit easier time getting a bottle in stock and keeping it because we just don’t fill it as much as a busier store. But thank you for being kind to the staff you’re talking to, so often people are angry with us and there’s nothing we can do and we’re trying. That being said there are some rude pharmacists out there… also no it’s not discontinued they’re just wrong
I was having this problem too (albeit not with ADHD meds). I kept calling my doctor's office and they could give me samples to tide me over while the pharmacy waited for it to come in. WHY CAN THEY SUPPLY SAMPLES BUT NOT ACTUAL PHARMACIES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING THE DAMN DRUGS??? Finally I got tired of dealing with it, and I switched to something else. I'm not sure it's working as well, but at least I can get the stupid refills more easily.
This is truly terrifying! Heard about the shortage but I thought it was solved (I don't live in the States) Here's to hoping that the new meds work.🤞🏾 Ps The driving part got me. Currently on a "Do not drive" recommendation from my psychologist, the dissociation is real. Once I had to turn around and go home because I could not remember where I was going or why. And that's the easy stuff.
Yes!!! 😢i have inattentive type ADHD and had been on adderall for years. They had to switch me to Vyvanse which I’m grateful that my insurance covers. It was a frustrating calling so many pharmacies and waiting on the phone for hours or being hung up on multiple times. It’s tough enough to do this without the adhd meds in the first place. Lol These medical folk and pharmaceuticals make us dependent on these drugs and then tell us oh well good luck, you’re on your own 👍 when they run out. It’s irresponsible
There’s research out that shows that people who are neurodivergent live shorter lives. Like people dying at 50 years old instead of like 80-90’s. Edit: Apparently the DEA did not properly take into account all newer adult female diagnoses when setting medication limits (for pharma companies/production limits).They literally didn’t believe that many people could legitimately have ADHD. I’m not currently on meds cause I just got off other meds and just received my diagnoses when all this started getting bad. Sorry for those of you struggling with these issues. 😔
I legit went through the same thing and I called so many pharmacies and went a few days without any before my psychiatrist decided to change me to a different med- it works a little less effectively but at least I have some now!
We've had issues getting my cat's pain medication. Thankfully it's currently just a backup if she has another clot, BUT the first clot let us know she has a serious terminal heart condition so if she gets another clot it's likely her time to pass. She's survived three clots, which is unheard of and we've gotten an extra year with her unexpectedly as well, but I have to be prepared that she won't likely survived another one since her heart disease as progressed. I honestly just want the pain med to make her comfortable if her passing doesn't happen quickly because we aren't spending her final moments taking her to the emergency vet that is 90 minutes away. Our local vets are still backed up from the pandemic, so they won't likely be an option. Thankfully her other three meds aren't backed up that keep her chugging along, though ❤ She honestly doesn't seem sick, just a bit too skinny when she used to be a bit chubby, but still in a way that often concerns me.
$80 for Nexplanon?! The implant itself is $1000 in the US without insurance (luckily the plans I've had have always paid for it in full), and that's not even including the cost of the doctor's visit to have the old one switched out. This country is wild. 🤦♀️
How frustrating. I don’t understand the system at all. In New Zealand we don’t have this issue and I didn’t realise it WAS an issue, so thank you for the video! 👍
Watched a talk from a psychologist saying ADHD should really be called "self regulation deficit disorder" (SRDD) because the inability to self regulate leads to attention issues. EX: inability to regulate when a new stimulus comes up leading to distraction. I find using SRDD helps ppl understand it better rather than getting brushed off if I'm trying to explain why i had difficulty with something or a situation.
I live in the uk and I’m struggling to get adhd meds. I’ve never had them before, and after struggling through school and college and leaving with mediocre grades, I’m desperate. My doctor said there was nothing she could do for me other than put me on a wait list for 3+ years. I’ve had to go through private healthcare which is very very expensive. I’ve got an appointment in a month (been waiting for this appointment for 6 months already!) and I’m just praying that they’ll prescribe me the meds. There’s every chance they’ll not give me the medication even though I’ve paid hundreds for this appointment. I feel like I’m floating through life and I can’t focus properly; my adhd is fucking up my life and I can’t get a job or go to university because I have no motivation to do anything. Getting adhd medication in the uk is so difficult and I feel like no medical professionals are listening to me. Please wish me luck for my appointment in a month!
I remember in 2014, 2015, I got put on an acid reflex medication that was having a factory issue in the form I take it. I called multiple pharmacies to find anyone who had any dosage available. I got a 1 month supply before having to switch to a different form that did not work for me and I ended up not being able to function or eat properly until the medication came back. I have been on it for years now and luckily I haven't had any issues finding it. It's tough when that happens.
I think pharmacy #10 was confused because recently the company that owns Concerta discontinued its in house generic, so its way harder to get ahold of a good replacement since not all generics are made equally, specifically in terms of the extended release mechanism that is solely owned by the company that owns Concerta that I cannot remember the name of.
That makes so much sense, people are always telling me to think back when i am trying to find something, but it’s like I can remember every single detail even tiny ones and ones not needed up until it’s just completely blank! It’s so frustrating to be basically blacking out multiple times a day.
.... Thanks to this video i am now aware my adhd meds may be in short supply too. I haven't run into this problem yet thankfully, but I think im going to call my pharmacy in the morning to please get my next pick up ready sooner. Thank you for sharing this, fingers crossed something can be done about this soon 😭
I’m most impressed that you’ve been able to call 10 people in 25 minutes😂 In my country whenever i wanna call a doctor, dentist, anything, you’re on hold for at least 10 minutes if not more
UPDATE FROM ME (JEN): We shot this in May. After several more frustrating phone calls, my doctor and I switched my prescription to a different medication. I'm grateful and lucky to be able to do that. I don't think my new meds work as well as my old ones, but I'm relieved to at least be able to treat my ADHD. Solidarity with others going through similar difficulties!
Yay! I am so glad happy you are medication now Jen ❤
Jen! I have the same exact perscription and I think I live in a similar area! Have you tried the sunset/western target? Longest I had to wait was a day!
I’m happy for you Jen! My husband goes through this each month. This month I went to 5diff pharmacies to help him out. At the 6th he went and he found it. 😅 good luck to everyone!!! ❤
I have not been able to raise my med dose for bipolar and have needed it for 11 months now =_=, I have been to seek inpatient treatment but that didn´t work I just sat in the waiting room for 8 hours... I´m barely functioning.
Former pharmacy tech here. Calling can be a hard to check on these types of medications because they are also heavily abused. Frequently, if you call to check on this type of medication they will tell you they don’t have it in stock even if they do.
Jen yelling "SPEAK TO A PHARMACIST" was the most relatable thing I have seen in months.
YES
Me every other month lol
Me every month
Such truth..
100% it is so infuriating having to do that every damn time
Hi, pharmacist here! First of all, thank you so much Jen for not taking your frustrations out on the pharmacy workers. I completely understand how hard and down right annoying it is to try and find these meds right now. To the person from the last pharmacy's credit, there was one manufacturer who discontinued their generic Concerta production but that was even before this shortage. Lastly, for people who may be switched to Vyvanse and find that it's super expensive even with insurance: the company who produces Vyvanse has patient assistance coupons on its website that you can use along with your commercial insurance to bring the price down. It might only take off $50 but any saved money is good, right? That's true for most brand name medications because the company wants you to use its medications and will help you pay for them if that's what it takes! ☺️
Thank you for sharing about the patient assistance coupons on certain drug manufacturers' websites! Manufacturer coupons are the main reason my mom's intense allergy meds are attainable. Every little really does help, especially for medications taken regularly.
I'm a diabetic who has faced the same problem getting weekly insulin. I feel your pain. Also: thank you for highlighting how frustrating those damn automated phone "answering" recordings are.
The automated systems are so frustrating and it makes me wonder if it's worse for people with thick accents.
@@Katie-hh9eu I had a stroke, and sometimes my voice drags if I'm tired. They absolutely are worse.
@@lesliemoiseauthor That's so frustrating. I get cutting costs, but there should be the option to talk to a real live person.
@@Katie-hh9eu Absolutely.
It's criminal that you've had to go through that, or at least it should be.
For me, this task is exactly the type of executive dysfunction that I struggle with
Same here.
THIS! THIS! ONE MILLION TIMES THIS! I need the meds to be able to perform the tasks necessary to get the meds, NIGHTMARE
Same!
Add phone anxiety and 😢 it is a nightmare. Walking into 10 different pharmacys...and speaking to 10 different strangers? Shoot me now. Nope
I was a pharmacy tech for 3 years. I really appreciate Jen not taking out her frustration on the pharmacy workers because trust me we hate it too! Most of us want to get people their medications! My recommendation that I always used to give was always call pharmacy near retirement communities because they are huge and grocery store pharmacies because they fill ALOT less. So for anyone else going through this I’m sorry, I hope it gets resolved soon and try those options.
Yes! My tiny pharmacy is surrounded by nursing homes and assisted living facilities so his clients are mostly elderly. The common adhd and psych meds, he always has. And common kids meds too. Great tip!
Thank you for talking about how even 'normal' mental illnesses can be physically dangerous to both you and others; I feel like it's somehow taboo to talk about but I also feel like talking about it helps clarify the difference between "haha I got distracted once by my friend and missed my turn" and "I have spent a small fortune over the last several years due to car accidents"
Seriously! I dont drive. I would like to, but I have fears about my capability to do so safely due to various mental and physical health issues. I have people in my life who would first and formost describe me as a klutz, dont trust me with powertools, and just roll their eyes when I fall or hurt myself because its so normal, and yet, they dismiss my fears about driving as irrational. Dismissing very much legitimate fears as irrational doesnt help me and if I should learn to drive when I have problems people will dismiss it as me being a bad driver and needing to try harder, as thats what they do with everything. I drop my phone often, and Im told off for not caring more about my things. I leave the house without things? Better tell me off for not being more focused. I bump into someone? I need to pay better attention. So on and so forth while ignoring I have actual conditions that list trouble with motor skills, memory, and concentration among other things as symptoms. But because there is fluctuations people dont put it together.
Yes, this exactly! And even when untreated mental illness isn't dangerous, it can be super expensive. I take Vyvanse, which was $30 a month for the first year, then it hiked up to $75. It's still cheaper than untreated binge eating disorder.
Without my son's ADHD medication he gets so frustrated he becomes aggressive. He needs his medication to get through the day. For whatever reason, be it lack of education, people don't understand how debilitating ADHD can be.
Loving how this bi-monthly occurrence in my life is getting its own UA-cam video. 10/10, would call several more pharmacies.
I take a daily thyroid med and the amount of times Jen aggressively asked the robot to speak to a pharmacist was too relatable. 😂
I've been on Armour or similar for over a decade and the thyroid struggle is real. I've been on NP thyroid for a few years and now the only headache is when they get confused why I have two scripts for the same med at different dosages. There was a period where I had to get it compounded because I flat out could not find it at any dose.
I used to work as a triage nurse and spent my days helping patients with finding pharmacies that had stimulant medication. Here in Minnesota I had the best luck with pharmacies that were associated with a healthcare system. If you're struggling to find a pharmacy you can always try calling and talking with your doctor's nurse. She might be able to help with this process.
As a Minnesotan with ADHD, this is SO helpful. Thank you, Susan. I struggle to get my stimulants EVERY month
@@mkwoodstock When you talk with pharmacies ask how many times a day they request your medication from the supplier. Big box pharmacies usually only call once after-hours. The ones attached to healthcare systems call multiple times a day. I have had good experiences with Allina and Fairview pharmacies. They do run out but usually get supplies every week or every few weeks.
I live in rural northern Minnesota, both kids and my husband have adhd. While I’ve had no issues with my kids getting their meds, my husband had to wait 5 weeks. He finally called and talked to our local clinic’s nurse line, and they were so helpful. He hasn’t had any issues since.
I second this advice! I've been extremely lucky to be able to get both two different versions of adderal and vyvanse without any issues through the entire pandemic because I go through a major healthcare conglomerate in my area. They have the pull to always have the meds in stock. It's very inconvenient in terms of hours, but I'd rather deal with that than not get my meds. Definitely try to do this if you have the option!
I’m in MN and my issue has been that most pharmacies can’t get enough of the medication.
I’m having the same exact problem with my ADHD meds in South Carolina. It’s ridiculous. I could understand if the medications were extremely expensive to produce but they’re dirt cheap. It’s Big Pharma and it’s FRUSTRATING! It took me years to get a diagnosis and now that I finally got put on the correct medication, I’m having to search all over town to find it. Another downside to the shortage is that if you’re prescribed a controlled substance and you get them filled at different pharmacies, you get put on the “Drug Seeker List” in the government’s main database for pharmacies and you’ll be labeled like that for the rest of your life. Thankfully my psychiatrist knows about the shortage and knows I’m not drug seeking.
It's so frustrating and infuriating because the technology to solve this problem exists!
@@kitchenandjorn YES! Exactly!
The wild thing is that this goes even higher than big pharma. This shortage, in particular, is a result of the DEA not changing the manufacturing limits for these medications, despite an increase in ADHD diagnoses and number of people on stimulant medications. When the shortage first became evident last year, many people, including doctors and pharmacists, urged them to increase the limit and they did nothing.
@@meganconklin2679yes! You’ll never find me defending big pharma, but this shortage is fully the government’s fault for not increasing the amount that can be produced. I’m sure big pharma is also seething that they’re missing out on the $$$ money they’d be making by manufacturing/selling more!
@@meganconklin2679yeah this gets me so mad every month gotta love the war on drugs 🥴
After having been on hold with walgreens for almost 30 minutes trying to find my ADHD meds, I hear the music from #9 in my dreams. They literally replay the "we're sorry. all our pharmacists are answering other calls" message EVERY 20 SECONDS. LITERALLY. I TIMED IT.
My mom has taken the same medication for about 22+ years now for her rheumatoid arthritis. She still has to convince insurance that she needs it every few months. The same goes for the maker of the medication. She has to provide substantial proof that she needs the medication. They give her the runaround every single damn time! And when they finally do agree to cover it they will only pay $2000 of it for the whole year… that’s, like, a little more than a month of it. So every time they say that she then has to convince them to pay it in full. So then they extend their payment to a few months. And once their few months are up the prescription needs to be filled again and the song and dance happens all over again. Did I mention that at any moment the supplier could just decide she doesn’t need it and refuse to fill the prescription and insurance can decide they don’t want to pay for it at all… both of those things have happened before and the result is her being in chronic pain for months.
The American healthcare system sucks. How dare the even call it health”care”.
Ok not trying to sell shrooms but have you looked into Mark Cuban’s cost plus drugs pharmacy? They have some of those specialized meds way cheaper, the immunologic meds were one of their first areas of focus.
This has been my reality for my son for the past year until finally I could no longer find my son's medication and his doctor had to change it. I would have to call at least 20 different pharmacies every single month. It was exhausting and stressful.
I am a special education teacher, and SO MANY of my students are unable to find or get access to their medication, and it can be completely debilitating for them. I empathize with you! I hope you’re able to find something that works well and isn’t too difficult to get refilled!
Please keep making more videos on ADHD. I am diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety and don’t feel great about having to take my stupid medication and your guy’s energy and knowledge about meds helps me feel good about taking it again!
when living with any chronic condition, consistency in treatment is always key!
@@rebeccat.6134 yeah! That’s always been so tough for me!
When I got diagnosed with my (multiple) chronic issues, one of my biggest struggles was taking the meds every day. I would literally take hours to take them bc I just didn't want to. Now, 3 years later, I have worked a ton on acceptance and although it still sucks, I just take my meds and get it over with.
It all takes time and I feel for you
So I literally did this earlier this week. My husband called 5 place I called 3. I decided to look for a place that was in a secluded retirement area and I actually found it! It was 30 minutes from where I lived but hey we got it.
Yup. I've been completely unmedicated for 2 months now, to disastrous consequences at work. I will (most likely) eventually be fired. I am at the point where I'm afraid to even try to get medication because stopping it so suddenly was harder than not being on it at all. Sorry to everyone who is going through this. ❤️
I am so, so sorry.
I hope this changes for you soon and you will be able to keep your job, maybe even find someone in HR to talk about it so that they know. All the best!
I lucked out in that my doctor insisted on sending in refills of my adderall while I was unemployed even though I choose to only take it on workdays, so when I got a job and started taking it again right as the shortage hit, I had a small stockpile to get me through. I can't imagine how hard that would have been if I had a doctor who was less foresighted, or who trusted me less.
As someone young with ADHD and a new driver I’m veeery happy someone finally talked about driving. I love driving but I’m still nervous about driving because of distractions. I happy to hear that it’s not just me with the problem. No one I know with ADHD that I know has the same problem..
Luckily the newer cars have lane assist and auto braking if you get too close . The salesman was showing me how to turn them off and I told him I don't need to know
The pharmacies cannot keep it stocked because the pharmaceutical companies cannot acquire the ingredients. The ingredients are blocked by the government, they put a cap on how much of certain ingredients can be produced and sold. Because they are considered controlled substances. The change needs to happen through the government. A huge amount of people, adults mostly, were newly diagnosed over lockdown, so there's a larger demand for the meds. I feel your pain. My dr said to call around also, but many pharmacies will not fill your scrip if you are not an existing customer. They won't say it up front but if you notice, one of their first questions has been "Do you already have your prescriptions filled here?"
As a pharmacy technician, I can tell you that this is because the DEA tracks what we fill. If we fill too high of a percentage of controls without other maintenance meds, they flag us as a potential pill mill.
Jen trying to get the automated robot voice to connect her to a human being is a MOOD, and it's how I've felt every time I've called the pharmacy since January, when my insurance decided they would only cover generic and I had to start calling multiple pharmacies a month...only to be put on hold and then told they don't have it and haven't for a while. It's one of the most frustrating things I've ever experienced.
My stepdaughter recently got diagnosed with ADHD earlier this yeah. She was put on a trial period of her first medications and it worked great for her. Didn't even get the dip in appetite and it happened quickly. She has an excellent week in school, she started making relationships with her peers, and she was super happy that she was able to make better decisions more easily and we talked about it and how it made her feel. Then we couldn't get her medication for 2 weeks, and this was stretching it as far out as we possibly could. I could see the frustration from not being on it. Her relationships deteriorated quickly, she got suspended, and other bodily issues. We finally got it filled with a pharmacy connected to her pediatrician and they can get it ordered pretty quickly because it's connected to a hospital. We quickly switched it over and thankfully haven't had an issue since, but her pediatrician gave us a couple dosages in advance to try to help remedy it.
I had the same issue with ozempic which I needed for my diabetes and everyone else was using it for weight loss. I just wanted to live and it was so hard to even get my meds that would help me stay alive.
Dr Mike did a video on this. What's shocking is that the DEA don't even have clinitian staff. They're just law enforcement making the rules for what should be regulated without any medical knowledge. Because some medications have crossover ingredients, other medications are also affected as they're unable to get supplies in. The DEA also limit production to only a few labs . It's genuinely disgusting that they're knowingly causing preventable health issues.
I work in behavioral health and this is causing so many problems for patients. Finding a med that works is so hard. Being forced to change your meds frequently or go without them due to shortages is some true evil capitalism. It throws off people's lives and wellbeing so much
This was truly a sisyphean struggle. I hope y'all can get/continue to get your dang normal meds!
Thank you for making this. I've been complaining on my socials about this all year but I don't think a lot of non ADHD people truly understand what we've been going through so being able to point to this video and show them is going to be really helpful.
I´m having trubble getting my bipolar meds so I can atleast relate.
I love Jenn including the driving example of how having ADHD/not having access to medication causes tangible issues in their life.
ADHD is one of those invisible illnesses whose symptoms most people think they relate to and as a result there's a lot of dismissal of it being a very real, debilitating illness vs being something you can just "try harder" at.
I never clicked on something so fast. My doctor had to change my prescription for the moment so I could get the same result by taking multiple pills of a lower dosage that add up to what my dosage normally is. Because my regular dosage is never in stock. It feels wild that I have to call around to pharmacies looking for my medication & then have to ask my doctor to change my prescription & thank god she trusts me to be the messenger for these pharmacies.
I'm on Vyvanse and its a great medication. I had the hardest time get my medication filled at pharmacies because I either had the shortage issue or I had the overtly cautious pharmacist who was like "I don't know If I should fill this medication because my religious beliefs are..blah blah blah." So I chose to go with ExactCare Pharmacy and it is a home delivery system of medication that delivers nationwide. So, now I call my doctor monthly to get the script to ExactCare and they fill it without delay. Maybe this can help you Jen with ExactCare Pharmacy. They are out of Ohio and deliver with a signature your medication directly at work or at home, whichever is easier for you. Hope this helps.
Kitchen and Jorn are not unforgettable. We love remembering you every week.
this is so real!!!!!!!!!
edit to add example: at one of my doctor appointments I was explaining to the physician's assistant like "the rest of my prescriptions I fill at x grocery store but they aren't even trying to get adderall right now so i've been filling just that one at the walgreens on-" and she basically shushed me and told me not to tell people or that location would start to be out of it too. there weren't even many people in earshot and I doubt a high % of them also had ADHD but she must be hearing complaints about the shortage a Lot
This is insane to me as a finnish person. They don’t have my adhd medication at the closest pharmacy to me on hand, because it’s honestly really rare to use it (you have to try all the other ones first before you can get this one due to it having potential for wrongful use) and nobody pretty much buys it but me. All the previous adhd meds I’ve tried they have always had it. They can just order it for me and it comes in two days, but usually I’m already out and have to go to the pharmacy that always has it, which is like 10 minutes away with a tram from my place. I also think it is insane that prescription meds can apparently cost more at different pharmacies in the us? That is literally like not allowed over here. Also the goverment covers automatically 40% of the usual prescription meds and 100% of insulin and if you spend 590€ on meds before the year ends all future prescription buys for that year only cost you 2.50€, no matter what size box you get and the original price. It’s pretty neat.
I'm really glad you're highlighting this issue. My meds have been a scramble to get and I just had to change to a different pill that I have to take multiple times throughout the day. It's so stressful. ALSO to make things worse, these drugs are restricted , so I can only get them refilled when I'm out of them
I'm on the same medication as Jen, and I've been dealing with this struggle every month for a while. I've called my congresspeople, but they don't particularly care. It's super frustrating and harmful to the health of so many people, and this all could have been avoided with better policies around ADHD meds. Here's hoping everyone in charge get their acts together soon.
Those last two pharmacies were Walgreens. I just know it.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and shedding more light on this issue! I take Adderall and have been lucky enough to get my prescription filled around 1/3 of the time since the shortage started. (But I’m also SO lucky in the fact that I’m currently between jobs and don’t have a higher demand for it like I normally would!) I hope they get this nonsense figured out ASAP. Also we need Medical for All or a single payer system.
PSA 1: GoodRX is a real discount tool. When I didn't have insurance it brought my meds from like 200 to 70 a month.
Also, It's so interesting to hear how different it is for another state (I'm in Washington.) I also take methylphenidate ER, but luckily the longest shortage I had was a week. I had to switch pharmacies to get it, but I was able to find one after 3 or 4 calls (and by me, I mean my partner cause I did not have the mental energy to call around.)
One good thing was the new one actually cost me less with my insurance so that was a nice surprise.
Note: it was a CVS in Target that had it.
I'm so glad you're talking about this problem!
I want to watch this, and saved it for later; but the title alone is so close to my personal experience that I viscerally feel the stress this shortage has caused.
Maybe Monday - when work has inevitably burst my wellness bubble - I am excited to use this video as an escape!
Me, my spouse, and our teen all have adhd and have been medicated for a decade+. This issue has disrupted my life family and the symptoms of ADHD make it feel impossible to navigate the process of finding meds.
I'd equate it to a crutches shortage and then making all the people with foot casts to walk on their recently broken and casted feet to every medical supplier in a large city to find the crutches they need to walk without painful and arduous dificulty. Not impossible, but obscenely ridiculous given the specific nature of their need.
I really appreciate you two for advocating about it!
Please excuse my typos.. 😅 word switches etc. I have adhd and not medicating on weekends due to the shortages and I am to tired to care anymore 😅😂😂😢😂
Two birds, one stone: Try to find a pharmacy to fill your prescription while you're filming a video for work. That must have helped with motivation! AND you had your "body double." I wish I could do work and pharmacy-hunting at the same time! I'm so reluctant to give up my prime focus/work hours for pharmacy hunting... but I need to.
And I need to be willing to make phone calls, drive new places, and disrupt my routine. My routine is as vital to my ADHD management as my meds are. -_-
I'd better gear up for phone-related homework before my next visit with my prescriber. This last time, I was able to get my ADHD prescription filled quickly! But I was visiting my parents, using my hometown pharmacy. The two times before that, I had no such luck. Went two months without my usual pharmacy being able to fill my prescription. Those leftover doses from taking most weekends off only go so far...
I'm an editor. Ever try proofreading as an ADHDer with no meds? It's HARD. I used two fidget toys at once (while also wiggling my feet) and took frequent breaks. I got through... but sheesh. And that's just the effect on work. Going without meds means some of my favorite activities, like journalling, became difficult chores.
Someone explain to the people in charge that Adderall and other ADHD meds save livelihoods, relationships, and lives.
I'm so glad y'all are here making videos like this. So many people are struggling and so many people don't know it
Sister of a pharmacy tech here… in order to avoid having to pay full price for a drug your insurance doesn’t cover, you can request your doctor to submit a “formulary exception” and you might get it approved!!! More info below and I hope it helps anyone who needs it!! Thank you for highlighting this SIGNIFICANT ISSUE!!! ❤
ADHD meds are no joke. My son has been going through it for a YEAR because of the national shortages. My son has been forever to change every month basically for the past year because they are all out. It’s so sad everyone is being denied
Changing that often is not great for the mental health either.
@@faeriesmak correct! However, my son off meds completely is a risk to himself. Without any he’s VERY impulsive and doesn’t think of danger in the moment. Like seeing a snake near by and in the moment grabbing it because he wants to know the colors to look it up later. Or running out into the street because a hall rolled by and he impulsively thinks I’ll grab it to help them and there
Is oncoming traffic. He also can’t focus enough to get through school and in turn he gets depressed and frustrated because he just wants to be able to focus like everyone else. When he’s off meds kids make fun of him because of the ways he copes are obvious and they are mean. One kid last year in 1st grade told him that everyone hates him because he is ADHD so he should kill himself. You have NO idea the struggles he faces with no medications. Either way is terrible and never a win for us parents for our kids who are ADHD and can’t speak for themselves. I know the lesser of two evils for my son is to have some help because that is what he wants and he knows his body best.
❤I love you two and seeing your vids pop up on Fridays makes me SMILE!
Update: uhhhh yaaa I need to get checked if I have ADHD. The getting distracted while driving has got worse for me. Yaaaaaaa no. No bueno
I haven't had my ADHD medication since November 2022. I changed jobs which resulted in moving to a new city, which resulted in a new doctor, and they were unable to find the Adderall XR in any of the pharmacies locally. In March, I lost my job, so I have just been coping as best I can in the interim. I am hoping something happens soon. I have been on ADHD medication since I was 8-years old, and have tried going away from a stimulant medication (for health reasons) but to no avail - I guess when your brain is accustomed to a medication it wants THAT medication.
I truly feel for everyone who is unable to get their medication and "feel normal" because it definitely takes a toll on relationships, professional life, etc. Here's hoping that the collective "we" can band together and hopefully get something done. Sending lots of love to everyone out there who is just trying to get by - we got this friends!!!!!
i'm on vyvanse as well and i always have to call up pharmacies in the days leading up to my refill date to make sure someone's got it lol. it's super frustrating - I have several friends who had to switch to it from adderall and I'm like 'great...good for you...please move to another town so you don't take pills from me' 😂 i hope that this gets super solved once the generic comes out in august
There's a generic Vyvanse coming in August?!? That's great news! I just switched to it, and the name brand is sooo expensive
@@CaitlynSpencer yeah, should be! That’s when the original guys exclusivity is up or w/e and like 5 diff companies have their generic versions ready to launch as soon as it’s legal to do so. Good news for everybody!!
@@CaitlynSpencer yep! The patent which gives them exclusivity is expiring soon, I remember when I was on vyvanse I looked up when that 5 year patent was going to be up. 😂
I can't imagine the frustration, even when you have multiple options. Living in rural areas with one or two options is terrible.
So I have done exactly this for patients for ADHD meds and for pain meds! You have a better chance at the beginning of the month, and maybe check pharmacies in grocery stores? Less ppl think of going to them. You got this!
I have ADHD and the best luck I've ever had was Costco pharmacy. So many people think you need a Costco card for it but you don't need it for the pharmacy. I try not to tell everyone this but I feel so bad for everyone struggling to find meds. this is my #1 ADHD med hack.
@@user-hf6sr7do3u I always forget about Costco! Also, their prices are better too!
I can fully understand your situation here because I work as a Pharmacy Technician at my local pharmacy, and even now depending on the medication we can only get enough for the people who've been with us and can't get more for new costumers.
The authorized generic of Concerta (which was brand name Concerta, sold as generic) was discontinued in January 2023. That is what the last pharmacy was referring to. Janssen continues to manufacture the brand name, Concerta but the loss of the authorized generic Concerta was a massive hit to availability.
Jen, you did way better than I would have. I would've gotten through maybe 3 calls, then given up. I'd straight up risk heart complications and a major depressive episode rather than call that many people in a day, but thats on needing therapy lol. I wish you luck on your medication journey
I’m a social worker and it’s like literally my job to help people do this stuff but then when my meds were out and they told me to call around I did not have the energy to make these calls. My friend helped me out because I jsut wanted to give up 😅
omg i take the exact same med and dosage and am going thru the exact thing rn i have to call pharmacies today to find ANY dosage and im NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO IT and then this showed up on my homepage. i feel less alone thank u jen -a fellow nb lesbian with adhd
I’ll be honest, I used to work in pharmacy and meds like ADHD medication is a control substance and I wouldn’t say over the phone if we had controls in stock because it increased risk of being robbed. We were held at gun point once and told to empty the control medicine cabinet. I realize when there’s a shortage of a necessary medication it is inconvenient going from store to store trying to find it, but I just wanted to explain why you might have trouble finding it over the phone.
I dealt with a similar issue yesterday. I've been having a hell of a time getting Walgreens to refill my antidepressants, and yesterday I went to the pharmacy at 4:15 to talk to someone. Everyone had taken the day off for some odd reason, and the pharmacy was closed.
I love these "Life Videos" I either feel less alone or learn something or both!
I’ve been off my meds for many months because of this. Thanks for spreading awareness. It was taking me an average of two full workdays each month to find my meds. It was infuriating. Then I would come off of them for weeks waiting to fill. Then back on. I finally just stopped. It was killing me mentally. But now everything in my life is piled up and not taken care of.
I take Concerta and it’s definitely not discontinued since I just picked some up. Shitty that they said that. I’m in Canada though so the shortage hasn’t been as intense as I hear in the states. Hope it works out!
I have experience in this topic! Like, its my job! I do see you said you shot this in May, I assume right before the Vyvanse problems started, since Vyvanse shortages really started becoming a nationwide problem in late May. Where I work, they're currently estimating the Vyvanse shortage may clear up around early July, but then again they've been saying the generic Adderall shortage would clear up 'next month' since last August. I wrote a lot after this so I'll put the most important info up front: Your insurance can't check what's in stock at local pharmacies, and sometimes local pharmacies even refuse to talk to them about what they keep in stock so they may not even be able to help you call pharmacies to check. If your insurance offers a home delivery benefit, they may be able to check the home delivery pharmacy's backorder list since usually the surface level home delivery stuff is also managed by the insurance customer service reps on the pharmacy side. Also for people who didn't realize, cos I didn't before I worked in the industry, the majority of American plans divide medical and pharmacy into two entirely separated departments. If you don't know who manages your pharmacy benefits, since it might not be the same company that manages your medical benefits, I recommend calling and asking your insurance so you know before you need that information.
EDIT: I realized I didn't explain - you CAN get your controlled medications via home delivery/mail order pharmacies. State laws will vary and also what your doctor is willing to do will vary, but a lot of insurance plans will cover them that way if your plan has a home delivery pharmacy they use with your benefits. But home delivery pharmacies also are having backorder issues. It is just another option to try though. (Also with getting them from the mail keep in mind it is at the mercy of the mail, and various laws can make shipping times take longer. So it's not a great option, but its a possible option to get something.)
Shortages for the generic of Adderall started in some areas last August, and became more and more widespread as time went on, to where it was affecting pretty much every part of the US by December. Brand name Adderall had some shortage issues in December and January, but now most people are reporting that their pharmacies have that in stock...but no insurance plan wants to cover it. You have to do a prior authorization or sometimes even an appeal to get the brand name covered (prior authorization = the plan covers it under certain circumstances and needs your doctor to clarify if you meet those circumstances, appeal = the plan doesn't cover it and you are requesting they make an exception to cover it due to various reasons, or the prior authorization was denied because you don't meet the prior authorization requirements and you're asking the plan to make an exception to those requirements in your case), and if you have a deductible it most likely won't be allowed to bypass that even if it is approved.
Early on in the shortage plans were being a bit more lenient with brand name Adderall, accepting prior authorizations that said 'there's a shortage, please cover this' even if brand name Adderall was typically excluded from coverage, but then they also caught on to Vyvanse and were like 'no no, we want people to switch to Vyvanse as their backup instead!' So there are a lot of plans who are starting to cover Vyvanse without needing a prior authorization, and the ones that do need a prior authorization its often easier to get it covered as long as the doctor says they're requesting it due to the shortage. (Note: it's not necessarily easy, just easier than it was before this nonsense started.) But again if you have a deductible, most plans aren't having Vyvanse bypass it. Because American Health Insurance is for profit and doesn't care about you and I promise you the customer service workers that work there hate them as much as you do.
But of course, since insurance has decided they prefer Vyvanse to brand name Adderall, that is pushing a lot of people to switch, which is causing Vyvanse shortages now. Fun! Meanwhile because plans are being more friendly towards Vyvanse, they're now being far less friendly towards getting coverage for brand name Adderall, which has made it a nightmare for people to get that approved. If the Vyvanse shortage persists, I do suspect that could change again, but its probably not going to change before July.
And all that is assuming you have a plan that's willing to try. Because there's also a ton of plans out there that just do not care at all and will only do as much as the law requires them to, not a step more. I would still recommend calling your insurance and asking them what advise they have based on your plan though. The worst that will happen is you stay right where you started after all. Best case scenario, you get some additional options.
I felt this video so hard 😭 this has been my life since December. And i totally relate to the look on jens face at the end when she said she felt like shes been punched in the nuts. Its so disheartening and scary to think you're not gonna get your meds at all. Ive been taking about half the amount of Adderall im prescribed because i can only get my meds filled every other month. It makes every day life so much harder. One of my big side effects of ADHD is constantly being exhausted. I can fall asleep anywhere without it. And feel like im constantly walking through a fog unless im manic. Its been really hard.
THIS. I'm supposed to be taking 45mg of Adderall XR by taking a 30mg and a 15mg daily but I've been rationing and only taking 30mg because I've only been able to fill my prescription twice this year and it wasn't even the entire thing both times. I'm still waiting for the 15mg bottle from my last prescription and have no idea when it'll come in. >.
@See Sarah Saw I'm so sorry 💔 I prescribed 40ml a day. 20 extended and then two 10 instants. Its like I either can have one or the other. But rarely get both filled. I actually was able to get them both filled for the first time this month since December. But I'm still afraid to take my full prescription. Still trying to save it just in case, because I genuinely can't function if I run out.
I had to go to a neighboring state to find meds and I’m rationing them. Thanks for showing how hard it is to fin meds.
This is the exact med I take for my ADHD and I spent 2 and a half months trying to get it recently. I was also dealing with dumb crap with Medicaid (they thought I had primary insurance which I do not). I paid out of pocket for it twice at the beginning of the year but I'm pretty broke right now and even with a GoodRx coupon it isn't that cheap. I can't tell you how much phone tag I've done in the last few months just to get my meds and being without makes this all so much harder. 😵💫
On a lighter note
I love your editor! That music and those sounds effects while Jenn was on hold were just perfect!
Methylphenidate made me feel so depressed for some reason but I’m so glad that it’s working for you Jen!
ME TOO the comedown would make me sob uncontrollably every night
It made my 16 year old suicidal..so that was fun. He is on something else now.
it just made me fall asleep which is great at night but not for functioning during the day lol
only the LA version does that to me personally, the standard release methylphenidate is completely fine. I have some weird tolerance for any psychoactive medications so I take a pretty high dose to feel anything, but with the LA version even the lower 20mg dose gives me about 15 minutes of clarity followed immediately by sweats and four hours of nausea. Weird how bodies work.
only downside of the standard release is that you have to remember to take it twice instead of once, but I tend to set things up for myself in moments of activity so that they're physically unavoidable when the time comes.
Again, thank you for sharing stuff like this. I’ve been thinking about getting on adhd meds recently but have some hesitations, including insurance. I’ve always struggled with “adulting” so it’s nice to get tips and tricks haha. But anyways, I hope you get some good news soon, good luck!! ❤
I adore you both! Something I’ve been thinking about as a fellow person with ADHD is: can we do some sort of organized action? The FDA is dropping the ball. Idk what else to do. I’d go out of my way to show up with folks who want to demand a change because this is a super serious issue, really. It has significant life changing consequences for so many of us. Idk just a thought! Not sure where to start with that but I’ll bring my tent to camp out for weeks until this gets better haha. I’m worried it’s only going to get worse and it feels intentional
And thank you both so much for making a video about this!
I would totally watch a video of you calling local representatives and congressmen
As someone with severe adhd I understand. I had been on adderall since 2011 (I was ten) just had to change to vyvanse because I was off my adderall for I think 10 weeks. I can’t do any other medication because they don’t work at all and my insurance didn’t cover vyvanse. I can’t afford all of my physical health issues meds and for my mental health. Now I have to get my family to pay for my meds which effect my mental health because we don’t have that kind of money. I can’t physically work more hours with my nerve damage in my back (I’m 21 and most likely getting back surgery this summer). I just want to be able to function (at the point that I might fight insurance and medical professionals like I could even do that). I just want allistics to understand
This is one of the reasons having a chronic illness is a full-time job. No one knows how much wrok it is to stay on top of everything. Glad you found an alternative, Jen.
Actually surprised with how quick this was 10 phone calls in 30 mins that’s actually impressive …
The memory thing explains so much! I'm fairly certain I am undiagnosed ADHD and have always had trouble making memories. I have a great memory for facts but not events. The time travel analogy is also very descriptive of my existence.
Man my heart goes out to everyone who is in this position with their medication because I don’t know what I would do without my medication 😢
My husband takes the same medication and has gone through the same procedure every single month. So far he’s been able to find it after between 20 and 50 calls to various pharmacies. I really hope this ends soon, and something gets figured out.
Jen grooving to the wait tune of a call is everything. I do that too in my mind lol
I have a video idea! What if you did a Lil Food Fight: Frozen Treat edition? You could make your own popsicles or make ice cream using the rock salt/ice/shaking method! I think that would be great, especially since it's summer now and it's really hot where I live.
So far my brothers adderall has been getting filled on a regular basis each month, which we are grateful it has. My son has Inattentive ADHD and takes Vyvanse as it’s a dual purpose medication as it’s used for people who suffer from binge eating disorder. Even though my son doesn’t have BED , It’s been a life saver for him as his signals in his brain don’t work correctly and he’s never full. Has been like this since birth. The meds for the first time for him knows what it means to be full. We have been in the works with genetic specialists and had the 1st round of testing , just waiting for results as it can take 2-3 months. He has a 2nd round of blood work to be done once we get the 1st round back. I do not want this medication to be on shortage as this literally is saving himself from eating himself to death.
Relatable! My practice as a neurodivergence guide in the last year has turned into "coach people who are used to having meds on how to process the emotions of not having meds and adjust their routines for a new reality." 😭 I've been lucky enough to only have mine (the generic of That Drug that you take twice a day) unavailable a couple of months, but everyone in LA seems to be unable to get it, and same for Seattle. Sending love and crossed fingers to everyone who's struggling right now!
I’m a pharmacist so I feel your pain right now. I work in a lower volume location in a chain pharmacy and we have a little bit easier time getting a bottle in stock and keeping it because we just don’t fill it as much as a busier store. But thank you for being kind to the staff you’re talking to, so often people are angry with us and there’s nothing we can do and we’re trying. That being said there are some rude pharmacists out there… also no it’s not discontinued they’re just wrong
I was having this problem too (albeit not with ADHD meds). I kept calling my doctor's office and they could give me samples to tide me over while the pharmacy waited for it to come in. WHY CAN THEY SUPPLY SAMPLES BUT NOT ACTUAL PHARMACIES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING THE DAMN DRUGS??? Finally I got tired of dealing with it, and I switched to something else. I'm not sure it's working as well, but at least I can get the stupid refills more easily.
This is truly terrifying! Heard about the shortage but I thought it was solved (I don't live in the States) Here's to hoping that the new meds work.🤞🏾
Ps The driving part got me. Currently on a "Do not drive" recommendation from my psychologist, the dissociation is real. Once I had to turn around and go home because I could not remember where I was going or why. And that's the easy stuff.
Yes!!! 😢i have inattentive type ADHD and had been on adderall for years.
They had to switch me to Vyvanse which I’m grateful that my insurance covers. It was a frustrating calling so many pharmacies and waiting on the phone for hours or being hung up on multiple times. It’s tough enough to do this without the adhd meds in the first place. Lol
These medical folk and pharmaceuticals make us dependent on these drugs and then tell us oh well good luck, you’re on your own 👍 when they run out. It’s irresponsible
Thank you for making this video to bring attention to this issue
There’s research out that shows that people who are neurodivergent live shorter lives. Like people dying at 50 years old instead of like 80-90’s. Edit: Apparently the DEA did not properly take into account all newer adult female diagnoses when setting medication limits (for pharma companies/production limits).They literally didn’t believe that many people could legitimately have ADHD. I’m not currently on meds cause I just got off other meds and just received my diagnoses when all this started getting bad. Sorry for those of you struggling with these issues. 😔
I legit went through the same thing and I called so many pharmacies and went a few days without any before my psychiatrist decided to change me to a different med- it works a little less effectively but at least I have some now!
Thank you guys for being so real.
Thank you for sharing and educating us on this. I had no idea it was this bad. I can’t imagine going through this
We've had issues getting my cat's pain medication. Thankfully it's currently just a backup if she has another clot, BUT the first clot let us know she has a serious terminal heart condition so if she gets another clot it's likely her time to pass. She's survived three clots, which is unheard of and we've gotten an extra year with her unexpectedly as well, but I have to be prepared that she won't likely survived another one since her heart disease as progressed.
I honestly just want the pain med to make her comfortable if her passing doesn't happen quickly because we aren't spending her final moments taking her to the emergency vet that is 90 minutes away. Our local vets are still backed up from the pandemic, so they won't likely be an option.
Thankfully her other three meds aren't backed up that keep her chugging along, though ❤ She honestly doesn't seem sick, just a bit too skinny when she used to be a bit chubby, but still in a way that often concerns me.
Omg.. And here I am complaining that I have to pay $80 to get a new nexplanon :o usually I'm not paying more than $5-20 for meds (in Sweden)..
$80 for Nexplanon?! The implant itself is $1000 in the US without insurance (luckily the plans I've had have always paid for it in full), and that's not even including the cost of the doctor's visit to have the old one switched out. This country is wild. 🤦♀️
How frustrating. I don’t understand the system at all. In New Zealand we don’t have this issue and I didn’t realise it WAS an issue, so thank you for the video! 👍
Watched a talk from a psychologist saying ADHD should really be called "self regulation deficit disorder" (SRDD) because the inability to self regulate leads to attention issues. EX: inability to regulate when a new stimulus comes up leading to distraction.
I find using SRDD helps ppl understand it better rather than getting brushed off if I'm trying to explain why i had difficulty with something or a situation.
I've had this issue with my anti epileptic prescriptions. Not having them is scary 😮
That’s horrendous. I’m on them too and I’d be terrified. What country are you in?
@banana89rachel I am in the US on thr generic Keppra and there are shortages randomly. I've been on it since 2007 and had this happen 6 or 7 times.
This is such a frustrating situation for many medications. I'm so sorry.
I live in the uk and I’m struggling to get adhd meds. I’ve never had them before, and after struggling through school and college and leaving with mediocre grades, I’m desperate. My doctor said there was nothing she could do for me other than put me on a wait list for 3+ years. I’ve had to go through private healthcare which is very very expensive. I’ve got an appointment in a month (been waiting for this appointment for 6 months already!) and I’m just praying that they’ll prescribe me the meds. There’s every chance they’ll not give me the medication even though I’ve paid hundreds for this appointment. I feel like I’m floating through life and I can’t focus properly; my adhd is fucking up my life and I can’t get a job or go to university because I have no motivation to do anything. Getting adhd medication in the uk is so difficult and I feel like no medical professionals are listening to me. Please wish me luck for my appointment in a month!
I remember in 2014, 2015, I got put on an acid reflex medication that was having a factory issue in the form I take it. I called multiple pharmacies to find anyone who had any dosage available. I got a 1 month supply before having to switch to a different form that did not work for me and I ended up not being able to function or eat properly until the medication came back. I have been on it for years now and luckily I haven't had any issues finding it. It's tough when that happens.
I think pharmacy #10 was confused because recently the company that owns Concerta discontinued its in house generic, so its way harder to get ahold of a good replacement since not all generics are made equally, specifically in terms of the extended release mechanism that is solely owned by the company that owns Concerta that I cannot remember the name of.
It’s the same with other meds too. Relate to the frustrated feeling. 😢
That makes so much sense, people are always telling me to think back when i am trying to find something, but it’s like I can remember every single detail even tiny ones and ones not needed up until it’s just completely blank! It’s so frustrating to be basically blacking out multiple times a day.
.... Thanks to this video i am now aware my adhd meds may be in short supply too. I haven't run into this problem yet thankfully, but I think im going to call my pharmacy in the morning to please get my next pick up ready sooner. Thank you for sharing this, fingers crossed something can be done about this soon 😭
I'm a nurse who works with pediatric patients who have ADHD and every day I am calling every pharmacy to try and get them their meds!
I’m most impressed that you’ve been able to call 10 people in 25 minutes😂 In my country whenever i wanna call a doctor, dentist, anything, you’re on hold for at least 10 minutes if not more