More than year into an ongoing shortage for ADHD medications, patients are still struggling to fill their prescriptions.

Matt Moser takes Vyvanse to help manage his ADHD.

"It helps me focus. I mean, I work long hours and long days and it really gets me focused on tasks at hand,” Moser said.

Getting his daily pill has proved challenging for the past several months.

“It got to the point where calling was such a pain in the butt. I went to the pharmacist, I went to Mariano’s, I went to Walgreens and they're like, 'Oh, no, we don't have it,'” Moser said.

Moser’s situation is playing out for many of Dr. Michael Feld’s patients.

“Oh, I've had three out of my last four emails were people who have had to switch different medicines to different pharmacies,” Feld, a psychiatrist in Northbrook, said.

The issues are all due to the ongoing shortage of prescription drugs treating attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

“You're seeing shortages, not just of Adderall, and you're seeing shortages of some of the generic extended release medications,” Feld said.

The FDA announced the Adderall shortage in October 2022 and that has had a domino effect on other stimulants, also in part due to unprecedented demand.

Prescriptions surged during the pandemic and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sets strict production quotas because of potential abuse and misuse of the drugs.

“I think there's less being produced, there's a greater control of what's going to pharmacies, and then a lot has to do with the prescribing tendencies of providers,” Feld said.

Feld said he’s turning to newer, lesser-known stimulants from smaller pharmaceutical companies that are FDA-approved.

"This is an opportunity for people to learn about what's been developed and what's out there that there are no shortages,” Feld said.

Non-stimulants may also be an option for some patients.

“Stimulants are still considered first line medication because their efficacy is probably overall a little better than non-stimulants. But there are patients that do well on non-stimulants,” Feld said.

The Child Mind Institute, an independent non-profit, has more information about both stimulant and non-stimulant alternatives available here.

Nootropics, or over the counter supplements, are a hot topic as an alternative to prescription medications.

Feld describes them as “vitamins and minerals.”

Also called “smart drugs” or “cognitive enhancers,” nootropics are not FDA approved and vary greatly, which is why health experts say a patient should consult their doctor before use.

“They often take, like, at least 60 to 90 days to really get working. Non-stimulants can take one week up to four weeks, but stimulants work immediately,” Feld said.

That explains why stimulants are in such high demand.

Feld said his patients have had success getting their medication at grocery store pharmacies or smaller, independent pharmacies.

“I went out to Lindenhurst. I live in Mount Prospect, which is a 45-minute drive, because he said they might have it and I called them. They actually had it,” Moser said.