Woman worried after no ADHD medicine for months

A woman said she has been unable to get her ADHD medication for months.

Hannah Huxford, 49, from Grimsby is one of thousands of patients unable to get hold of medicine to manage their symptoms due to a national shortage.

Mrs Huxford, who was diagnosed with the condition two years ago, described the situation as a "huge worry".

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had taken action to improve the supply of medicines but added that "some challenges remain".

Mrs Huxford said the medicine made a "huge difference" and got her life back on track.

"It enables me to function and concentrate so I can be more proactive, I can be more productive," she explained.

She said she had been unable to get her usual supply since October 2023 and has to ration what she can get hold of.

"Christmas time it was just getting beyond a joke. I was going back to the pharmacy, probably two or three times in a month, just to collect the little IOUs and it was getting to the point where that, in itself, was becoming a stress," she said.

"All of a sudden, if this medication is taken away from me, I'm frightened that I will go back to not being able to cope."

James Davies, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said the supply shortage has been caused by manufacturing problems and an increase in demand.

"There are more people who are being diagnosed with ADHD, more people seeking to access ADHD treatments. That's not just related to the UK, this is a global problem," he said.

Mr Davies said some ADHD medication has come back into stock but added "it's quite a fluid situation at the moment".

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Source: BBC News, 19 February 2024

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