The pharmacy says "it's on backorder" and you have four days of capsules left. Somewhere between that sentence and the truth is a federal database that changes without notice and is written for manufacturers, not for you.
**The short answer: this page reads FDA's Drug Shortages database for the ADHD class and writes down what it said, with the date. As of 2026-09-06, five products are listed as currently in shortage and one appears under discontinuations. The list describes national supply, not your pharmacy's shelf, and that distinction is the whole reason people give up on a fill that was actually available two miles away. Read the table, then read the two paragraphs under it, then work the checklist.**¹
The list, as FDA had it on 6 September 2026
| Product, as FDA names it | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine Aspartate Monohydrate, Amphetamine Sulfate, Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate Tablet | Currently in Shortage | The immediate-release mixed amphetamine salts tablet. |
| Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate Capsule | Currently in Shortage | Capsule form. |
| Lisdexamfetamine Dimesylate Tablet, Chewable | Currently in Shortage | Chewable tablet form. |
| Methylphenidate Film, Extended Release | Currently in Shortage | FDA's dosage-form name. Ask the pharmacist which product it maps to before assuming it is the one you take. |
| Methylphenidate Hydrochloride Tablet, Extended Release | Currently in Shortage | One product family. Immediate-release methylphenidate and the capsule forms were not listed. |
| Guanfacine Hydrochloride Tablet, Extended Release | Listed under Discontinuations | Discontinuations are a separate section of the same database, not a shortage entry. |
Not listed in the ADHD class that day: dexmethylphenidate, atomoxetine, clonidine.
Change log
| Date read | What changed |
|---|---|
| 6 September 2026 | Same five shortage entries as the previous reading. Guanfacine hydrochloride extended-release tablet was recorded in the database's separate discontinuations section — a change in what was read, not evidence of a change at FDA. |
| 5 September 2026 | First reading: five entries in shortage; dexmethylphenidate, atomoxetine, guanfacine and clonidine not on the shortage list. |
An entry that stops appearing has either been resolved or removed; the log says which only when the database says which. A week with no reading gets no row rather than an assumed one.
What this list does not tell you
- It is national, not local. A product can be listed while your pharmacy has it, and absent while your pharmacy does not. The list describes manufacturers; your pharmacist describes the shelf.
- It does not say why, or for how long. Reasons and estimated recovery dates are given by manufacturers, unevenly, and change.
- A dosage form is not a brand. "Methylphenidate hydrochloride tablet, extended release" is a product family that spans several manufacturers. Which one you take, and whether an available form would work, is a prescriber's question.
- It is not a reason to change your medication yourself. Substitutions, dose changes and formulation switches are prescriber decisions, and in California a Schedule II prescription cannot simply be refilled. The seven rules between the prescription and the pharmacy counter →
What to do when the fill is delayed
- Call before you drive. Ask the pharmacy whether they have the exact strength and form, and whether a transfer is possible. One transfer of an unfilled electronic Schedule II prescription is permitted under federal rules where state law allows it, and California pharmacists differ on it — ask rather than assume.
- Ask the prescriber about an available form, not for a bigger supply. A different formulation of the same molecule is often in stock when one is not.
- If you are on Medi-Cal Rx, controlled-substance claims are capped at a 35-day supply, with prior authorisation above that, and the Contract Drugs List names which agents are covered.² Does Medi-Cal cover ADHD medication? →
- Work the printable. Six steps, in order, for the day the fill is delayed. The refill-and-shortage checklist →
- Do not buy from anyone who is not a pharmacy. Counterfeit stimulant tablets containing methamphetamine or fentanyl are a documented cause of death; a shortage is not a reason to take that risk.
Q&A
Q: How often is this page updated? A: Weekly, by a scheduled review that re-reads the FDA database and rewrites the table, the dates and the change log. The date in the heading is the only claim this page makes about how current it is. If that date is more than two weeks old, the review has not run and the table should be treated as history.
Q: My drug is not on the list but my pharmacy has none. A: That is common and it is not a contradiction. Local supply depends on the wholesaler, the pharmacy's allocation and its controlled-substance ordering limits. The steps above still apply.
Q: My drug is on the list. Should I panic? A: No. Being listed does not mean unavailable everywhere; it means at least one manufacturer has reported supply trouble. Call, ask about forms, and get the prescriber into the conversation early rather than on day one of running out. The whole ADHD decision map →
Ready to find a prescriber or a therapist who handles the ADHD side properly? Filter by approach, schedule and payment route →
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Drug Shortages database — "Current and Resolved Drug Shortages and Discontinuations Reported to FDA" — read 6 September 2026 — accessdata.fda.gov.
- California Department of Health Care Services, Medi-Cal Rx Contract Drugs List — medi-calrx.dhcs.ca.gov.
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