The Adderall Shortage
In October 2022 the FDA declared a nationwide shortage of Adderall. Millions of Americans with ADHD were left holding prescriptions no pharmacy could fill. Ryan Brandstrom was one of them.
A prescription you can’t fill
For a person with ADHD, stimulant medication is not a luxury. It is what lets many people hold a job, drive safely, raise children and get through the day. When the shortage hit, patients called pharmacy after pharmacy. Doctors couldn’t help. Nobody could say when the medicine would come back.
For Ryan, a father of five, the result was immediate: his mental and physical health deteriorated, he couldn’t be present for his family, and he struggled at work. And even after officials said supplies were improving, the medicine kept disappearing from shelves. For many people diagnosed with ADHD, filling a prescription is still a gamble.
The government’s position: in a September 2, 2026 motion, federal prosecutors asked the court to bar Ryan from telling the jury that his conduct was connected to the Adderall shortage.
Ryan’s position: the jury deserves to hear the whole story. You can’t understand this case without understanding the shortage.
Medicine, not narcotics
Amphetamine is the active ingredient in Adderall. It is a controlled substance, but federal law does not classify it as a narcotic. This case involves no heroin, no fentanyl and no opioids. Yet the federal charges carry penalties more commonly associated with hard street drugs.
Minnesota has already recognized that drug policy is changing: adult-use cannabis became legal in Minnesota in 2023, even though it remains illegal under federal law. Laws change because ordinary people see that the old rules no longer fit reality.
Questions and answers
When did the Adderall shortage start?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a shortage of Adderall (amphetamine mixed salts) in October 2022. Patients across the country reported that pharmacies could not fill their prescriptions, and shortages of ADHD stimulant medications continued for years afterward.
Why couldn't patients get their medicine?
Amphetamine is a Schedule II controlled substance, so the Drug Enforcement Administration limits how much manufacturers may produce each year. When demand rose and a manufacturer had production problems, pharmacies ran out and patients with valid prescriptions were left without medicine. In August 2023 the FDA and DEA issued a joint public letter acknowledging the ongoing stimulant shortages.
Is Adderall a narcotic?
No. Under federal law, a "narcotic drug" means substances such as opium and opiates, coca leaves and cocaine. Amphetamine is a stimulant and a controlled substance, but it is not a narcotic. It is prescribed every day to millions of children and adults with ADHD.
What does the shortage have to do with Ryan Brandstrom's case?
Ryan Brandstrom is a lifelong ADHD patient whose prescription could not be filled during the shortage. The federal government has asked the court to prevent the jury from hearing about the shortage at his trial.