How Adderall shortages affected children and teens with ADHD
Prescription Stimulant Supply Shocks: Assessing the Impacts on Health Outcomes and Disparities
This project looks at how a 2022 shortage of immediate-release Adderall medicines affected health, school, and care for children and adolescents with ADHD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249148 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your child has ADHD, this work follows prescription records and insurance claims to see what happened when immediate-release amphetamine medicines were scarce in 2022. Researchers combine national prescription data with detailed claims from Allegheny County and Medicaid enrollees nationwide to track changes in medication fills, emergency room visits, and school or care disruptions. They compare what happened before, during, and after the shortage to identify who was most affected and whether some groups faced bigger harms. The goal is to highlight treatment interruptions and disparities so clinicians and policymakers can better protect families during future shortages.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and adolescents with ADHD who used immediate-release stimulant medications (like Adderall) around 2022, especially those on Medicaid or receiving care in Allegheny County, are most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Adults, people without ADHD, those who only use long-acting stimulant formulations, or those whose treatment was never interrupted may not find direct benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help shape policies and clinical responses that prevent dangerous treatment interruptions and reduce disparities when stimulant medicines run short.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies of drug shortages have shown harms such as interrupted treatment and worse outcomes in some conditions, but rigorous evidence specifically about stimulant shortages in youth with ADHD has been limited.
Where this research is happening
Santa Monica, United States
- Rand Corporation — Santa Monica, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smart, Rosanna — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Smart, Rosanna
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.