How is the ADHD medication shortage in the UK affecting people?

ADHD patients around the UK are finding they can't get hold of medication since a national shortage was announced.

Three different medicines are affected, and the government says some supply issues could last until December.

The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) says "increased global demand and manufacturing issues" are behind the shortages.

Medication helps to manage symptoms, which can include difficulty concentrating and focusing, hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

Dr Saadia Arshad, a consultant psychiatrist, who specialises in diagnosing and treating people with ADHD.

She says the shortage of medication is "not a new issue, but it's a recurring one".

Dr Saadia says suddenly stopping meds can lead to patients "feeling jittery, finding it difficult to pay attention, staying focused and feeling restless".

Even though she understands the shortage can be worrying, Dr Saadia says it's important that people don't take measures into their own hands.

"These medicines can be quite potent and the response to medication for two individuals is not the same," she says.

"So please do not take any action without discussing it with your clinician."

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Source: BBC News, 6 October 2023