(Utah News Connection) It has been seven months since The Food and Drug Administration announced a nationwide shortage of medications used to treat Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD. While patients across the county are still facing challenges with access, experts say there might be alternative options available. 

Dr. Gregory Mattingly, president-elect, American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, said the shortage is likely to continue in the foreseeable future, and encouraged people those diagnosed with ADHD to be proactive and plan ahead.

"Call the pharmacy and say 'Hey, listen, is my particular medicine one that you have been having trouble getting ahold of?'" he advised. "If the answer is yes, then reach out to your clinician and say, 'Listen, based on my symptoms and where I have symptoms throughout the day, are there other treatment options that are available, that may be a better fit for me?' "

Mattingly added there are more than 30 different ADHD medications available today and said it is important to remember it is not a "one size fits all solution." It is important to speak with your clinician about long-acting stimulants, once daily medicines and non-stimulant medication options as well, he said.

Mattingly added about ten years ago, only one in 10 adults with ADHD was getting any type of treatment and today that number is one in five. While the number of adults needing treatment has gone up, there is a fixed supply of medication. The medication shortage being experienced is in part due to a rise in adult ADHD diagnoses which spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

"So those symptoms that were always there, but you know, 'I had managed to kind of get around them,' the structure of being at work kind of kept me focused. Now I am sitting at home," he said. "Being distracted, being disorganized has always been a trait of mine, but now it is an overwhelming trait."

Mattingly added it is important for those who think they may have ADHD to note when their symptoms get worse and how they are impacting their overall lives. That can a clinician determine the appropriate treatment option.