NYU sophomore Amanda Williams was prescribed Adderall in October to address difficulties she was having with her attention span — a common symptom of ADHD. After a lengthy process of getting her insurance’s approval, she received a message that her pharmacy in Gramercy Park was unable to fill her prescription.

“I just have to wait it out and see what happens,” Williams said. “If this issue continues, I’m going to try a different amphetamine, but other amphetamines are very hard to get approved by insurance because of how expensive they are.”

A nationwide shortage of Adderall — a medication used to treat ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — has made it difficult for patients to access their prescriptions. The effects of the shortage are being felt at NYU, as multiple pharmacies near campus do not have adequate supplies of the drug.

The Food and Drug Administration announced the shortage of the drug’s instant release tablet on Oct. 12. Some experts have advised patients to talk to their doctors about switching from the instant release version of Adderall, which is affected by the shortage, to other formulations of the medication. Last year, 41.4 million Adderall prescriptions were distributed in the United States.

The CVS Pharmacy on Astor Place told WSN that it is out of Adderall, a pharmacist at a CVS located on Fifth Avenue and 14th Street told WSN that it is not expecting a full supply for three months and the CVS on Bleecker Street said it receives a small amount very rarely and does not currently carry substitute drugs like non-stimulants Qelbree and Strattera. The Duane Reade on Fourth Avenue told WSN that it had run out of 10 and 20 milligram doses of Adderall, but that it currently carries smaller doses.

A pharmacist at the NYU’s Student Health Center said that it has not been impacted by the shortage. Despite this, some NYU students — particularly those without university-sponsored insurance plans — have struggled to access the drug.

Brianda Hickey, an applied psychology instructor at NYU and a counselor, said she has seen several of her clients — some of whom have been taking Adderall for years — struggle with the effects of the shortage.

“They’ve been constantly playing tag with their physician and psychiatrist and pharmacies, trying to figure out, ‘OK, what medication can I get?,’” Hickey said. “This burden is put on people who already struggle with doing a task that requires multiple steps.”

The FDA estimates that the medication might not be available until January, depending on both the form and dose of the drug.

Lauren Ashe and Mayee Yeh contributed reporting. Contact Amna Sheikh at [email protected].