Prescription Delays Persist Across Australia: Medication Wait Times Extend Nationwide

When Albany-based mother Shannon Roberts brought her kids' prescriptions to her usual pharmacy, she was taken aback to learn they had run out of stock.

Many Australians are facing difficulties obtaining their prescriptions because of persistent shortages of various drugs.

Ms Roberts has three children with ADHD, and they all need medication.

This scarcity has proven to be time-draining and irritating for the entire household.

"I submitted all our prescriptions five days ahead of their due date in January, but they weren’t able to be filled," Ms Roberts stated.

It has been truly terrible since then.

The problem has worsened due to the fact that her kids have had adverse reactions to other ADHD drugs, making it challenging to find a suitable substitute.

"The oldest has started their third adjustment in medications, while the younger one is awaiting an appointment at a clinic in April," she mentioned.

My children experienced severe side effects from Ritalin. We stopped giving it to our oldest after just one week due to concerns for their mental well-being.

Drugs in short supply

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) lists 400 medications as being in short supply, which includes items such as menopause hormone therapies and drugs for high blood pressure.

One of the medications experiencing shortages is Concerta, which happens to be among the most commonly used drugs for ADHD.

The supplies for 18mg, 27mg, 34mg, and 54mg dosages are currently restricted.

The Albany pharmacist Jane McLean mentioned that the availability of supplies has fluctuated over the past few years.

"Throughout last year, Vyvanse was scarce for most of the time. This year, it’s Concerta that’s facing shortages," she mentioned.

Ms McLean stated that in the "recent years, we have experienced more stock shortages than those witnessed over the past 10 to 15 years."

The rules for ADHD medications stipulate that prescriptions can only be refilled up to five days before your current supply ends to avoid stockpiling.

Roger Paterson, who chairs ADHD WA’s clinical advisory board, mentioned that it might take several months to identify the appropriate medication and dosage for a child, which can significantly increase pressure on families.

"The overall conclusion appeared to be that demand was slowly surpassing supply… globally, there’s a scarcity of supply," he stated.

We are simply encountering it through our own lens within the realm of ADHD.

At the conclusion of the supply chain in Australia

The TGA indicated that the Concerta supply shortage would probably persist until December of this year.

The President of the Pharmacy Guild of Western Australia, Andrew Ngeow, stated that the nation is positioned "at the conclusion of an exceptionally lengthy and intricate global supply chain."

Mr Ngeow stated that Australia imports 90 percent of the medications it prescribes and contributes only 2 percent to global demand.

He mentioned, 'During shortages, we are among the first to experience it and the last to receive restocks.'

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