Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of ADHD medication.

The Department has made substantial progress in improving the availability of medicines for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), working closely with industry and key stakeholders to resolve previous supply challenges. Through intensive work with industry, NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have resolved most of the previous shortages. All strengths of lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine, both the capsules and the oral solution, guanfacine prolonged-release tablets, and methylphenidate prolonged-release tablets are now available.

There is a current supply issue with methylphenidate 30 milligram prolonged-release capsules, brand name Equasym XL, which is out of stock until late December. The Department has issued guidance to healthcare professionals with advice on how to manage patients until this shortage resolves.

We continue to work closely with suppliers to resolve the few remaining challenges and to strengthen resilience in the supply chain. This includes securing additional stocks, expediting deliveries, and expanding the United Kingdom supplier base to support future demand. In collaboration with NHS England’s ADHD taskforce and national data improvement plan, we are developing growth forecasts to improve demand planning and ensure a sustainable supply of ADHD medicines.

To support prescribers and dispensers, the Department maintains and regularly updates a list of currently available and unavailable ADHD products on the Specialist Pharmacy Service website, at the following link:

www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/prescribing-available-medicines-to-treat-adhd