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What: According to a recent  article, prescriptions for Adderall rose more than 30% over the past five years and accelerated during the pandemic. Now, there is a nationwide shortage of the drug.

Nearly 40% of all prescriptions for stimulants, including Adderall, were based on telehealth visits last year. After a federal emergency declaration, the DEA in March 2020  for in-person evaluations to prescribe controlled substances — regulated because of their potential for abuse. With the emergency declaration set to expire on May 11, the DEA published a proposed rule that would formally allow prescribing controlled substances by telehealth but imposes new conditions on it.

When: March 23, 2023 to May 11, 2023

Who: Danielle M. Alm, PharmD, BCPS, BCPPS, associate professor of clinical pharmacy, pediatrics

Quote from Dr. Alm: 

"From a pediatric perspective, I feel the COVID pandemic has increased the population of patients with ADHD as the pandemic has caused more stress. These patients are vulnerable to the distress caused by the COVID pandemic, which can, in turn, increase their behavioral problems," said Alm.

"Furthermore, with the pandemic and telehealth options becoming available, I believe more adolescents sought the opportunity to get help for their ADHD and received treatment, one of which would be Adderall. These patients most likely did not have access to physician visits prior to telehealth becoming available for various reasons, especially in underserved areas. If telehealth physician visits are stopped, I believe this will jeopardize access for many patients."

Media Contact: Kevin Gfeller, assistant director of public relations at Saint Joseph's University. 

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Founded in 1851 as Philadelphia’s Jesuit university, Saint Joseph’s University prepares students for a rapidly changing world by focusing on academic excellence and courageous exploration. With an intellectual tradition distinguished by a foundational liberal arts core and diversified by strong professional programs in education, business, health and science, Saint Joseph’s students are empowered, challenged and supported by faculty-scholar mentors to follow their own path. There are nearly 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students in the University’s four schools and colleges — the College of Arts and Sciences, the Erivan K. Haub School of Business, the School of Education and Human Development, and the School of Health Professions. With academic offerings in the most sought-after majors, including leading programs in the first-in-the-nation Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, nearly 100% of students are employed, pursuing advanced degrees or volunteering in prestigious service programs upon graduation. The University’s two networks of nearly 100,000 proud alumni keep alive the rallying cry — The Hawk Will Never Die.