Adderall shortage leaves Arizonans scrambling to get refills

Arizonans dealing with nationwide Adderall shortage

As the U.S. grapples with a shortage of the drug Adderall, some Arizonans are calling various pharmacies to see if they have the drug in stock. FOX 10's Lindsey Ragas reports.

PHOENIX - There is a shortage of a drug named Adderall in the U.S. that has left patients in the Phoenix area scrambling, as they call several pharmacies to see who can fill their prescription.

"It kind of sucks. It feels like a bad thing. You have to ask questions, and people make it seem like a bad thing that we're having an issue, and you have to resort to asking people online for resources or help because there's such a stigma around it," said Brandon Vellalos.

Vellalos has spent the past month calling various pharmacies, after he couldn't get his Adderall prescription refilled at his local pharmacy. He was eventually able to get help from his doctor, and found a pharmacy in Scottsdale that could refill his prescription.

"I was able to get it, but after that, they were, like, 'you know, it's going to be an unknown amount of time when they're going to get it again,'" said Vellalos.

Officials with Metier Pharmacy in Phoenix say they have been experiencing the shortage since November, but things are starting to look up.

"We've actually been able to maintain it, and we try to get as much in as we can and we've actually gained new patients because of it," said Randle House, who owns Metier Pharmacy.

Since the shortage, House has gained over 100 new patients from patients calling several locations to see which pharmacy has it in stock.

"We got school-aged children. You’ve got all the way up to - I got grannies on it, so I have people on their 60s and 70s on Adderall," said House. "It’s a stimulant, so it’s amphetamine, so it just basically helps someone keep their focus. Normally, it’s taken once a day or twice a day."