ADHD Medication Shortage Information (Updated 20.03.24)

Since October 2023 the UK has been experiencing a national shortage in the supply of ADHD medication, which is affecting all NHS Boards, including NHS Tayside. We now have some further updates we’d like to share

• The supplies of some of the pharmacological treatment options for managing ADHD are slowly resolving, although lisdexamfetamine remains unavailable.

• The manufacturers of Guanfacine and Atomoxetine have confirmed that their supplies are robust enough to meet previous demand however do not yet have capacity to meet an increase in demand.
• The national guidance issued at the start of this shortage remains that no new patients should be commenced on pharmacological treatment for ADHD at this time.

• Based on this, the NHS Tayside Problem Assessment Group (PAG) that has been managing this situation feels that it would be appropriate to cautiously re-titrate individuals who have had to stop methylphenidate, atomoxetine and guanfacine but that no new patients should be commenced.

• The PAG would however recommend that patients are reviewed prior to re-titration to assess the impact of the treatment break and if re-titration is essential or if patients could continue without pharmacological interventions.

• Services have been asked to look at plans to commence these re-titrations and undertaken these in line with the NHS Tayside Shared Care Agreement.

• Individuals / parents / carers of patients who have been prescribed guanfacine in the past will be contacted by the service for planning discussions within the next month.

CAMHS Outpatients team have been working to support patients impacted by the ongoing ADHD medication shortage with other non-medication management strategies (e.g. access to the Neurodevelopmental Parent Portal) and we would like to remind all impacted patients that our original communication directs you on how to access all supports (see below).

There are a range of interventions to help with the symptoms of ADHD which are not medication dependant that can be put in place at home and at school. Speak to your or your child’s teachers, health and/ or social care team if you need support with exploring these options.

• www.nhsggc.org.uk/kids/resources
• www.adhdfoundation.org.uk/resources
• www.youngminds.org.uk/parent/parents-a-z-mental-health-guide/adhd/
• Natural Remedies for ADHD Without Medication: Nutrition, Supplements, Sleep (additudemag.com)

In September 2023 we launched Tayside’s Neurodevelopmental Parent Portal which has a wide range of advice. To access the Portal, please email tay.camhsmheo@nhs.scot and provide your name and email address. You should receive an email with log in details and unique access code within two working days. Drop in sessions with staff are available as part of the support on offer to help you navigate the resource.

We will post any updates on the CAMHS Facebook page @nhstaysidecamhs and on our website www.taysidecamhs.scot.nhs.uk.

The UK and Scottish Government may also issue updates as this is a national issue.

If you have significant concerns about your child please email us at:
Angus - tay.anguscamhsadmin@nhs.scot
Dundee - tay.dundeecamhsadmin@nhs.scot
Perth & Kinross - tay.perthcamhsadmin@nhs.scot

Please put ‘ADHD medication concern’ in the title of the email. If your child is prescribed Guanfacine, please mark this in the heading and flag as Urgent.

Please include the following details in your email: Patient’s name, date of birth, up to date phone number, email address, current medication regime and concern.

This email box will be checked daily, and concerns reviewed. Unfortunately, we cannot advise of a time scale for responding to individual email but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Please be reassured that we are working hard and will do what we can to try and minimise disruption for all the families and young people we support.