Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder medication shortage in the United States: a qualitative assessment of Reddit posts

Introduction: Approximately 6% of the US population had been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2023, and approximately 33% of the patients received stimulants to manage it. Recent ADHD medication shortages in the United States have caused substantial disruptions in access to these medications. The objective of our study was to investigate how individuals respond psychologically and behaviorally to ADHD medication shortage in the United States using public discussions on Reddit.

Methods: We extracted Reddit threads from “r/ADHD” that consisted of the keyword “shortage.” After identifying relevant threads, we qualitatively analyzed 16 threads relevant to our study to reach thematic saturation. We used a hybrid inductive–deductive thematic analysis grounded in stress and coping theory to perform a qualitative analysis of the posts between August 2021 and February 2024.

Results: Our findings show that redditors consuming ADHD medication experienced significant cognitive, emotional, and functional impacts due to medication shortage (primary appraisal). Redditors reported challenges with accessing medication due to complex medical systems, unsupportive healthcare providers, financial strain, and limited understanding of the causes of the shortage (secondary appraisal). Redditors also reported a range of pharmacological (change in dosage/medication, skipping dosage, saving medication, caffeine, and nicotine) and non-pharmacological (meditation and exercise) changes to behavior to manage the shortage (coping strategies). In addition, the Reddit community fostered support, positivity, and resource-sharing to navigate the shortage.

Conclusion: Our study highlights the urgent need for healthcare policies that support individuals with ADHD amid shortages, emphasizing the role of transparent communication from pharmacies, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies.

Highlights

• We used Reddit posts to examine the impact of ADHD medication shortage.

• ADHD patients faced limited options and costly alternatives due to shortage.

• Medication shortage impacted the quality of life and daily functioning.

• Reddit users shared pharmacological and non-pharmacological coping strategies.

• The Reddit community fostered support, positivity, and resource-sharing.

Introduction

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurobehavioral disorder characterized by inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Biederman, 2005). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 9.8% of children aged 3–17 years (approximately 6.05 million) had been diagnosed with ADHD between 2016 and 2019 (Danielson et al., 2022). A recent report based on the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Rapid Survey System (RSS) estimates that in 2023, approximately 6% of US adults received an ADHD diagnosis (Staley et al., 2024). The management of ADHD involves a combination of approaches, which include medications, behavioral therapy, educational support, and lifestyle changes (Catalá-López et al., 2017; De Crescenzo et al., 2017). ADHD medications aim to manage symptoms associated with it, such as difficulty focusing, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (Wilens, 2006). Common types of ADHD medications include stimulants (such as methylphenidate and amphetamine) (Castells et al., 2011; Punja et al., 2016; Van der Oord et al., 2008) and non-stimulants (such as atomoxetine and guanfacine) (Childress, 2016; Yu et al., 2023). ADHD medications work by affecting the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain, particularly dopamine and norepinephrine, either by increasing monoamine neurotransmitter levels by inhibition of vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) (e.g., amphetamines) (Martin and Le, 2024) or by inhibition of the presynaptic norepinephrine transporter (e.g., atomoxetine). Alternatives such as bupropion and risperidone are also prescribed when stimulants are not well-tolerated or in the presence of severe behavioral problems. Approximately 35% of individuals with ADHD diagnosis received stimulant medication in 2022–2023 (Staley et al., 2024). These medications improve the attention, focus, and impulse control in individuals with ADHD. While the exact mechanism varies depending on the type of the medication, the overall goal is to enhance cognitive and behavioral functions.

In a joint letter on 1 August 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced a shortage of ADHD medications (mixed amphetamine salts: shortage date first posted 10/12/2022, lisdexamfetamine: shortage date first posted 07/14/2023, and methylphenidate: shortage date first posted: 07/26/2023, all currently in shortage as of May 2025) (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022) in the United States, raising concerns about the availability and accessibility of these crucial medications (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2023). Reasons highlighted for the shortage included manufacturing issues, supply chain disruptions, increased demand, and regulatory challenges, with the DEA noting that manufacturers did not reach maximal production, leading to a shortage of 1 billion dosages. After the announcements, the DEA changed quota regulations to reduce the amount of medications that the manufacturers needed to keep in the inventory (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2023). On 1 November 2023, additional changes were announced, which required manufacturers to submit production timelines, apply for quotas quarterly instead of yearly, and require monthly reporting (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2023). Although the changes were aimed at improving the production, the shortage of medications persists well into 2025, posing a serious risk to individuals with ADHD.

In response to medication shortages and scarcity, patients may resort to stockpiling, seeking medication from multiple sources, seeking alternatives, skipping doses, stopping the use, or buying from illicit sources (Ow et al., 2022). These actions not only jeopardize the effectiveness of treatment but also expose patients to potential health risks, especially when obtaining medications from unregulated sources. The illicit drug market, filled with potentially adulterated substances, also poses additional risks (Friedman and Shover, 2023). Therefore, it is crucial to understand how individuals with ADHD cope with medication shortages in order to develop supportive strategies and minimize potential harm. Although studies have extensively focused on how medication shortages are managed on a large scale through a complex mixture of interactions between markets, policymakers, and stakeholders (Shukar et al., 2021; van Oorschot et al., 2022), there is limited research on how individuals impacted by medication shortages manage their health.

Examining individual health behaviors in response to medication shortages can be challenging. Specific studies that are designed precisely to examine health behaviors at the time of shortage are difficult to develop and conduct in time. Therefore, the use of other passive measures of surveillance could be vital in examining the responses of large populations to unique shocks such as medication shortages. The use of social media platforms in medical and public healthcare research has increased significantly in the past decade (Golder et al., 2017; Ngai et al., 2015; Skaik and Inkpen, 2020). Social media platforms allow users to post their thoughts, experiences, advice, and warnings to the community; foster a discussion of solutions and in many instances guide people to resources that could potentially help them (Chen and Wang, 2021; Smailhodzic et al., 2016). In many platforms, this can be done anonymously, thereby protecting the identity of the poster and fostering discussion of themes that could be stigmatized (Berger et al., 2005; Eschliman et al., 2024; Highton-Williamson et al., 2015; Kepner et al., 2022). Reddit is a social media platform with a large user base (approximately 60 million users and over 1 billion posts as of 2023). It is particularly suitable for discussion of topics that may be stigmatized or require some level of anonymity, and in recent years, published studies have extensively used Reddit discussion forums to examine topics ranging from opioid use, stimulant use, harm reduction, and substance use treatment (Bouzoubaa et al., 2024; Eschliman et al., 2024; Kepner et al., 2022; Overbeek and Janke, 2018; Pandrekar et al., 2018; Spadaro et al., 2022).

When individuals face acute or ongoing disruption in access to critical resources or services, their response to such a disruption includes the replacement of the resources or service with displacement. However, when the resource or service is irreplaceable or no alternatives exist, various psychological and behavioral changes can occur, the understanding of which is necessary for developing public health and policy interventions. In the context of ADHD medication shortage, the use of a behavioral model grounded in psychological and behavioral theory can help understand how people perceive and cope with such a stressor. While several theories could be applied in this scenario, the stress and coping theory developed by Lazarus and Folkman is particularly relevant as it examines how individuals appraise and respond to stressful situations (Lazarus, 1984). As outlined by the stress and coping theory, when faced with a stressor, a sequence of evaluations are undertaken by an individual: a primary appraisal to assess whether a situation poses a threat or benefit, followed by a secondary appraisal of resources and coping options. This is followed by the adoption of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. This model is, therefore, well-suited for application in examining medication shortages and coping strategies used by ADHD patients.

The overall objective of our study is to leverage the Reddit ADHD forums to gain insights into the impact of ADHD medication shortages on patients. By analyzing user discussions using the stress and coping theory, we aim to understand coping mechanisms, behavioral changes, and potential risks associated with the scarcity of ADHD medications. This research is crucial for informing healthcare policies and interventions to support individuals affected by the shortage, thus ensuring their wellbeing and minimizing adverse outcomes.

Methods

Data: a subreddit is an online forum within Reddit that is dedicated to discussing a specific topic. The ADHD subreddit is a widely popular forum to discuss information on ADHD diagnosis, management, and treatment. We searched ADHD (“r/ADHD”) and collected the data of all publicly available posts that mentioned the term “shortage” using Python Reddit API wrapper (PRAW) on 16 Feb 2024. We identified 172 threads posted between 12 December 2017 and 16 Feb 2024. We excluded any original posts that were made before 1 August 2021. This start date was used to mark a 1-year period before the FDA’s announcement of the shortage. We identified a total of 161 threads based on our preliminary search criteria. The writing team reviewed the first post in the top 50 threads (sorted by the number of posts in a thread, with more posts indicating greater interaction and discussion) to establish the relevance of the post to medication shortage. We selected the top 50 threads as reviewing all 161 threads and replies within them would be too time-consuming and would have diminishing returns after a certain number of posts were reviewed. After excluding posts unrelated to ADHD medication shortage, we initially selected 32 threads and all posts within them for review, eventually reviewing and coding the 16 highest ranked threads for this study (Figure 1).

Figure 1

Figure 1. Flow diagram highlighting the identification and selection of Reddit threads on ADHD medication shortage included in the study.

Analytical framework: to understand the cognitive, behavioral, and social responses to ADHD medication shortage, we employed a hybrid inductive–deductive coding approach for a thematic analysis of the data. To generate a priori codes, we utilized the stress and coping theory. The stress and coping theory, developed by Lazarus and Folkman (Lazarus, 1984), focuses on how individuals perceive and respond to stressors, which could provide valuable insights into how people are coping with the challenges posed by the medication shortage. Upon encountering a stressor, individuals perform a primary appraisal, evaluating the stressors and determining if it could lead to a positive outcome, neutral outcome, or negative outcome or harm. After the primary appraisal, if the stressor is deemed to cause harm, then the secondary appraisal is carried out. Secondary appraisal includes evaluation of available resources and strategies to manage stress, evaluation of overall strain on health and finances, examination of the causes of stressors, and finding solutions to the stressor. The next step is coping strategies, which includes problem-based coping strategies and emotional coping strategies. Using the overall framework of the stress and coping theory, we developed initial codes for the thematic analysis (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Figure 2. Operationalization of the impact of ADHD medication shortage using Lazarus and Folkman’s stress and coping theory.

Data extraction: first, analysis [SS] reviewed the highest-ranking thread “r/ADHD Megathread: Medication Shortages” and outlined the first set of codes using the stress and coping theory as the framework. The research team [SS, SM, SV, and SD] reviewed the initial codes and grouped them into the main categories based on the behavioral theory (primary appraisal identifying the impact of ADHD medication shortage on health and secondary appraisal explaining how people perceived the shortage, managed resources, or discussed the sources of shortage) and coping strategies such as behavioral changes, finding alternatives, and seeking social support. Any disagreement was noted and then addressed by the team.

To ensure that the coding framework was both theoretically informed and grounded in the data, the research team engaged in a collaborative immersion process. The research team reviewed 180 posts together to become familiar with the content of the posts, practice initial coding, and note new topics and ideas that emerged in the posts, in addition to the codes that originated from the stress and coping theory. The team later met to discuss the coding process and the new codes and drafted the final codebook. This process also ensured the comprehensiveness of the codebook and consensus among analysts. Following several rounds of discussion and refinement of the codebook, the remaining posts were distributed among two analysts (SS and SM) for individual coding until thematic saturation was achieved. Once thematic saturation was reached after reviewing 16 threads, our team examined the coded segments to identify patterns and recurrent themes, particularly focusing on medication shortage as a stressor, primary and secondary appraisals, and the coping strategies utilized. We did not perform inter-rater reliability assessments as each post within a thread was brief and included one or two key themes. Posts that were larger or included several themes were reviewed by the research team to highlight key themes.

Results

Primary appraisal of the impact of ADHD medication shortage: redditors discussed the severe effects of ADHD medication shortage (Table 1). ADHD medications need to be taken daily to treat the condition, and patients are often on a unique regimen, deviation from which significantly impacts the quality of life. Many redditors reported not being able to fill their ADHD medication prescription for over a month. Redditors highlighted physical, emotional, and cognitive impacts leading to an increase in levels of stress and anxiety. Emotional impacts included an increase in stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Many redditors indicated experiencing “brain fog,” which affected their ability to think and complete tasks. This led to a significant impact on schoolwork, employment, and social relationships—many redditors stated that they could not cope at school and fell behind on coursework, and some reported having challenges at work that could potentially lead to their termination. Many redditors noted that the lack of ADHD medication significantly impacted their ability to look for ADHD medication, pulling them into an inescapable loop of despair.

Table 1

Table 1. Primary appraisal of the impact of ADHD medication shortage.

Secondary appraisal of the impacts of ADHD medication shortage: challenges in accessing ADHD medication, cost, bureaucratic constraints, and concerns about the source of the shortage were commonly reported by redditors (Table 2). The need to call multiple pharmacies to check for medication availability and then calling providers to transfer prescriptions, all when functioning without ADHD medication, which makes these performing these tasks difficult, was reported to be common. These were often insurmountable tasks, which were time-consuming and frustrating for many redditors. Some redditors reported no clear end in sight for the shortage. The lack of reliable information from pharmacies further complicated the situation, leaving individuals to call multiple pharmacies, hoping to find available medication. This was often compounded by the stigma faced by patients from the pharmacy and other healthcare providers as the patients had to call several pharmacies multiple times seeking refills for their ADHD medications.

Table 2

Table 2. Secondary appraisal of the impact of ADHD medication shortage.

The interactions with healthcare providers and insurance companies added another layer of complexity to the challenging situation. Some healthcare providers were reported as helpful in assisting patients in navigating these obstacles. Many other redditors reported healthcare providers as unsupportive, leaving individuals to fend for themselves. The necessity to call doctors to change medications or dosages due to the shortage was common. However, it was not always successful. Additionally, insurance companies often required prior authorization for medications or attempted to switch patients to usually unavailable generic alternatives. The financial burden of paying out of pocket for medications, when insurance failed to cover the medication expenses, usually the available brand-name medication, was prohibitively expensive for many.

While scant and conflicting evidence for specific contributors to the ADHD medication exists, redditors speculated on various factors that contributed to the shortage. Redditors discussed strict control over the production and prescription of scheduled drugs, limited manufacturing by big pharmaceutical industries prioritizing profits over supplies, the supply chain impact of COVID, and other market forces as factors affecting the production. Some redditors even implied that the increase in demand of ADHD medication prescription resulting from improved access or misuse of telehealth services leads to the current shortage.

Coping strategies to manage the impact of ADHD medication shortage: in response to medication shortage, redditors described a various strategies to adapt to their situation (Table 3). “Problem-focused coping” included managing access to medications, advocacy, and community support. “Emotion-focused coping” included acceptance, positivity, and social support. Many redditors stated that they would either reduce the dose or skip a dose on non-working days and save the medication for use later when they could not get their medication. Other redditors discussed working with their healthcare providers to change their medication type (to a more available stimulant or non-stimulant), reducing or increasing the dose (to a more available dose regimen), or changing the dosage from immediate-release to extended-release formulations or vice-versa based on the availability. Redditors also shared alternative methods to manage ADHD symptoms, such as the use of caffeine, nicotine, exercise, and meditation. Some even suggested acquiring the medication from dealers or buying it from other countries.

Table 3

Table 3. Coping strategies to manage the impact of ADHD medication shortage.

Many redditors shared information on where and how to locate medications, how to approach pharmacies, recommended using paper scripts, using coupons to reduce medication costs, and shared information about patient assistance programs enabling other ADHD patients to avoid unnecessary hurdles in their search for medications. In addition, redditors petitioned lawmakers to improve production and access to ADHD medications.

In response to the challenges posed by the ADHD medication shortage, community support has played a vital role in aiding and supporting the affected individuals. Several posts from redditors showed support for those who were experiencing the shortage. Support included words of positivity, optimism, guidance, and emotional support to those affected. Many redditors used the social network to share their feelings and experiences, receiving and providing supportive feedback that fostered catharsis and a sense of solidarity.

Discussion

Amid an unprecedented medication shortage, findings from our study of Reddit posts show that individuals with ADHD faced severe consequences resulting from ADHD medication shortage. When consumers encounter shortages, their reaction is primarily to reduce the consumption and increase the storage or purchase of a specific good. With ADHD medications, both options are challenging to perform. Any reduction in medication use leads to a decline in cognitive ability, and additional action to obtain ADHD medication becomes almost impossible due to the strict regulations imposed on the prescription and fills of such medication. Therefore, the shortage left ADHD patients with limited options and significantly impacted their quality of life.

Our findings illustrate how ADHD medication can be understood through the lens of the stress and coping theory. In the primary appraisal phase, redditors consistently evaluated the shortage as being harmful and disruptive to their quality of life. They described severe emotional and cognitive impacts, leading to anxiety, depression, and an inability to function, which is a hallmark of the primary appraisal. The narratives underscore the serious threat that the lack of medication pushes patients into an inescapable cycle of misery. In the secondary appraisal phase, redditors assessed available resources and their capacity to respond to the shortage. Many redditors experienced significant structural barriers, medical administrative hurdles with providers, pharmacists, and insurance providers, and a lack of support and stigma from healthcare providers and family and friends alike. Additionally, activities that were under self-control such as executive functioning to maintain medication fills were impacted due to medication shortage. In response, redditors employed a range of coping strategies such as reducing the dose, changing the medication, skipping the dosage, and using alternative ways to suppress their symptoms. In addition, the Reddit community has come together to suggest collective actions to improve the production and access to ADHD medication, sharing resources to navigate bureaucracy and providing support and validation to other individuals impacted by the medication shortage.

Beyond the stress and coping theory, these findings align with broader frameworks in public health research, including theories related to the sociopolitical regulation of controlled substances, which, while intended to protect patients, are often unhelpful and in many cases cause additional harm (Dickson-Gomez et al., 2022; Kanouse and Compton, 2015). These models help contextualize the role of stigma, systemic barriers, and policy-level constraints in shaping individual experiences and responses to medication shortages. The analysis of Reddit posts reveals a clear distinction between adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies to manage ADHD medication shortage. The adaptive strategies included planned use of medication to have surplus, community support, and resource navigation, which reinforce planned behavior, forming social bonds, and empowering individuals facing systemic challenges. In contrast, the maladaptive strategies included using alternative medications without medical guidance, discontinuing treatment completely, using caffeine and tobacco, and social withdrawal, reflecting avoidant strategies, which may ultimately lead to poor mental health outcomes and in severe cases such as purchase of illicit medication—death. The interplay between the limited options and urgency of managing symptoms of unmedicated ADHD led many redditors to adopt coping strategies, which, while understandable, exposed them to further harm. Such maladaptive behaviors have been noted in other resource-constrained environments such as insulin underutilization (Herkert et al., 2019), delayed healthcare utilization (Ratnapradipa et al., 2023) due to cost, underutilization of medication for opioid use disorder due to stigma (Madden, 2019), or pregnancy termination without medical supervision due to restrictive abortion laws (Harris and Grossman, 2020).

While research on this area is scant, a recent qualitative study published by Johnson et al. including 20 participants. highlighted a similar set of challenges, such as the impact on life that includes ADHD symptoms, impact on productivity, emotional effects, and challenges with social relationships and activity (Johnson et al., 2024). The study also highlights treatment barriers (stigma from providers and lack of information), challenges with accessing medication (switching medications and traveling long distances), and coping strategies (exercise and non-medical routes/illicit medications and meditations). The findings from this study support our findings and highlight the immense consequences of the medication shortage.

A recently published report on MMWR highlighted that in 2023, 6.0% of US adults received a diagnosis of current ADHD (Staley et al., 2024). Approximately 50% were prescribed medications in the last year for their condition, and among those individuals, 71.5% had challenges in filling their prescriptions, highlighting the extent of ADHD medication shortage. The study also highlights that almost 46% of the individuals reported telehealth for ADHD care (Staley et al., 2024). During the pandemic, the DEA and the US Department of Health and Human Services allowed for flexibility in stimulant prescribing via telehealth, which could have resulted in an increase in ADHD diagnosis and management. However, some online telehealth companies were able to use the relaxed guidelines to provide stimulants to patients who did not need the medications. The Justice Department is leading a case against such companies, providing some credence to the speculation of redditors (Office of Public Affairs, 2024). Since the filing of these charges, the CDC has warned of disruption in services leading to “injury and overdose” (CDC Health Alert Network, 2024). The CDC warns that there is an increased risk of overdose due to contamination of fentanyl, with new reports suggesting that seven in 10 pills seized by the DEA contain fentanyl (Drug Enforcement Administration, 2022). Since most ADHD patients who seek illicit medication may not have knowledge of the contamination and do not have access to naloxone, any unwanted exposure may lead to a fatal overdose. Therefore, it is essential that ADHD patients who are facing medication shortages are warned of the risks.

A systematic review published in 2019 highlighted the economic impacts on patients, institutional cost increases, adverse clinical outcomes, and adverse events due to medication shortage (Phuong et al., 2019). Although none of the studies included in the review directly focused on ADHD medication shortage, major findings highlighted in the review, such as increased out-of-pocket cost due to brand switching or alternative medicine or increased travel to obtain medication and adverse “humanistic outcomes” such as anxiety and frustration, were commonly reported in people experiencing medication shortages (Phuong et al., 2019).

The current medical system, which restricts access to necessary medication by adding unnecessarily complex approval processes that involve physicians, pharmacists, and insurance companies, places an undue burden on patients, particularly during medicine shortages. With the lack of medication, adversely affecting the patient’s ability to actively search for and obtain approval to receive the medication, many ADHD patients cannot get the treatment they need. It is, therefore, necessary to introduce a streamlined treatment system while maintaining adequate supervision from healthcare providers. Strengthening the connection between medication demand and supply through mandatory alerts and transparency between pharmaceutical companies and regulatory bodies can help prevent shortages. Additionally, expanding insurance coverage for non-pharmacological treatments, such as behavioral therapy and cognitive training, offers alternative symptom management strategies during medication shortages. These policy changes can provide critical insights to make informed decisions and improve health outcomes.

The use of Reddit posts for the evaluation of ADHD medication shortage serves not only as a timely case study but also as a powerful example of how social media can function as a valuable tool for public health surveillance and insight generation. Through user-generated content, platforms such as Reddit and Twitter can offer real-time and often unfiltered accounts of individuals’ perceptions, experiences, struggles, thought processes, and coping strategies. These “digital narratives” provide contextual information that may not be captured through clinical records or surveys. Therefore, these posts can be vital in forming and shaping policy responses, healthcare provider awareness, and future research on medication access, use, and adherence. Broadly, these findings highlight the relevance of social media as a complementary source of understanding and tackling emerging public health challenges.

Limitations

While our study performed an extensive review of Reddit posts to examine the impact of ADHD medication shortage, one of the main limitations of our study is that all the posts are considered “self-report” and could be biased. We cannot confirm the veracity of the statements in the Reddit posts. In addition, the findings reported in our study exclude comments that refer to the shortage or availability of ADHD medication outside the United States. Furthermore, we cannot quantify the overall period of shortage experienced by the redditors who posted about the shortage and when the supply challenges are resolved. Future studies should examine ADHD medication prescription fills data to examine the impact of the shortages. Additionally, the stress and coping theory, as applied in this manuscript, only focuses on a few key themes per post rather than a continuum of appraisal and coping strategies in each individual.

Conclusion

ADHD patients experienced significant health impacts due to the ADHD medication shortage. The experiences reported by redditors allowed us to get a unique perspective on how the medication shortage impacted individuals with ADHD. Our research findings highlight that proper measures to ensure continued access to critical medications are necessary among ADHD patients. Furthermore, when a widespread shortage of medications occurs, rapid public health intervention is needed to inform patients, support treatment, and reduce barriers to access.

Data availability statement

The data used in this study are publicly available on Reddit. Further inquiries on the specific instance of the data used can be directed to the corresponding author.

Author contributions

SS: conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology, project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualization, writing – original draft, and writing – review and editing. SV: formal analysis, investigation, methodology, and writing – review and editing. SM: formal analysis, investigation, methodology, and writing – review and editing. SD: formal analysis, investigation, methodology, supervision, and writing – review and editing.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of their family and loved ones, whose experiences with ADHD medication shortage brought the impetus to conduct this research.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Generative AI statement

The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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