In 2011 many users of the stimulant Adderall arrived at their local pharmacy intending to refill their totally legitimate prescriptions, but instead returned home empty handed (or having snorted their last 20mg, phoned and/or drove to every drugstore within a 200 mile radius only to discover that they too were out of the drug). Adderall is generally prescribed to individuals that suffer from ADD/ADHD which the diagnosis of and by extension the prescriptions written for have gradually increased over the last decade creating steady demand growth.
Unfortunately Adderall or rather the active ingredient “mixed amphetamine salts” is a schedule II controlled substance (along with cocaine and opium). This means the quantity supplied is set by the DEA at levels that they deem appropriate. Once again for 2012 many pharmaceutical manufacturers are warning that the DEA may have severely undershot the equilibrium quantity.
Fortunately Adderall is not the only methamphetamine derivative used to treat ADD/ADHD, it has substitutes! Ritalin (Methylphenidate) and Vyvanse (Lisdexamphetamine) are two popular equivalents that have both seen a rise in demand and experienced some shortages of their own in response to the under supply of Adderall. Another notable boon to Adderall users is its price. Adderall has not been under patent protection for some time, but the introduction of a generic version didn’t cause a price decrease. This miraculous feat was probably facilitated by inelastic demand in conjunction with supply levels set by the DEA.
Conclusion
Central planning still sucks.
source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/01/us-adhd-adderall-shortage-idUSTRE80009E20120101
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