For more than a year, the U.S. has experienced a shortage of Adderall, the medication used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Now, while continuing to deny its own role in the shortage, the federal government is making the problem worse by threatening manufacturers that could help ameliorate the crisis.
In October 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a shortage of amphetamine mixed salts, Adderall's primary ingredient. The announcement noted that manufacturers were "experiencing ongoing intermittent manufacturing delays" and it anticipated that the shortage could last until March 2023.
