Finding ADHD medication is 'monthly battle', says Birmingham councillor
Experts have warned medicine shortages are on the rise.
A Birmingham councillor has described spending hours going around more than a dozen different pharmacies in what he says is a "monthly struggle" to get ADHD medication.
Health leaders have said some patients are being forced to ration their medication due to a rise in supply chain shortages.
Councillor for Kings Norton North Alex Aitken, who has ADHD, said: "I didn't think I would end up calling no less than 13 of my most local pharmacies before I found one that had ADHD medication.
"It was almost three hours out of my day to get the medication I needed. I'd already ran out at this point and these kinds of tasks are really difficult for people with ADHD."
A survey of 6,100 pharmacies found 97% of staff said patients are being inconvenienced due to supply issues, while 79% said patient health is being put at risk.
Councillor Aitken said the shortages are just the latest in a string of challenges faced by people with ADHD after it took two-and-a-half years for him to receive a diagnosis - which he says is much quicker than many.
Councillor Aitken said: "The medication completely changed my life, it helped build consistency in my day-to-day life, but now it feels like the only thing that's consistent is this monthly battle to get medication."
Describing the risk to being left without medication, he said: "It causes issues around self-care and emotional wellbeing because people with ADHD are far more prone to mental health issues because of the inability to regulate levels of dopamine in their brain and that makes it hard to deal with your emotions."
Health leaders have called on the government to improve the supply system to ensure patients can get vital medicines when they need it, with other medicines such as diabetes and epilepsy treatments in short supply.
Councillor Aitken said: "They are simply asleep at the wheel and it's unacceptable they still haven't got a grip of this, and are leaving patients with a wide range of needs unable to get the medicines they need."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Supply issues can arise for a wide range of reasons and are not specific to the UK.
"Our priority is to mitigate risks posed by those issues and to help ensure that patients continue to get the treatments they need. Thankfully, most issues can be managed with minimal impact to patients."