ADHD drug shortage 'nightmare' for Kent families

Some people in Kent with ADHD say a shortage of vital medications is making life a "living nightmare".

The lack of medications at pharmacies has even left some people waiting years to get the drugs prescribed for them.

Some said they regularly have to ring dozens of pharmacies before finding their medication or drive up to 20 miles (32km) to collect treatments, while one person has resorted to paying £200 a month to get hers privately.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said that, while the majority of medicines were in good supply, it is working to resolve issues caused by complex and highly regulated global supply chains.

Single mother Tracy McKenzie has ADHD, along with her 10-year-old daughter and teenage son.

"My son is on a high strength of stimulant medication and without it becomes impulsive and aggressive," said Ms McKenzie, from Dartford.

"Every month I worry about trying to get medication for us all, which then impacts my own mental health.

"I phone many chemists within a 20-mile radius to find which has it in stock and pray that, by the time the doctor writes the prescription, someone else hasn't managed to get the last of it before me.

"It's a living nightmare."

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Source: BBC News, 4 November 2024

Further reading on the hub:

• Medication supply issues: Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
• Medication supply issues: A pharmacist’s perspective
• Medication supply issues: have you been affected?