Running on empty: Minnesota’s ongoing battle with the ADHD medication shortage

“When prominent manufacturers can’t keep up, then there is a cascade effect through the other manufacturers who aren’t initially equipped with the material or mechanical resources for manufacturing more product to make up the difference,” says Matt Hammer, community clinics pharmacy manager at Hennepin Healthcare. “Oftentimes manufacturers would have to choose between producing one drug or another.”

Mark Holtan, a pharmacist at Hennepin Healthcare, notes that people who take these medications without ADHD may experience adverse reactions, including anxiety, agitation, headaches, and jitteriness.