COLUMBIA, S.C. — The nationwide Adderall shortage is being felt in South Carolina as some students struggle to make it through finals week.
Austin Tiesing is a junior at USC's nursing school. He says it's been a tough few years, but after being prescribed Adderall in the past year, he's noticed a significant positive change in his academics.
"It makes a world of difference because I'm not focused on anyone else around me, besides what I'm doing," Tiesing said.
Now, in the middle of finals season, Tiesing says his last refill was delayed.
"It was like 7 or 8 days late, and I was pretty disappointed to be honest," Tiesing said. "I had to study for like 4 days in a row without it ... that was pretty brutal."
This has been the case for many patients in the Columbia area, according to Pharmacist Dr. Lynn Connelly, owner of Medicine Mart Pharmacy in West Columbia. He says customers from other pharmacies have been calling his store asking for any extras.
"The 30 milligram and the 20 milligram are hard to come by," said. "Sometimes we'll get a small amount in the order, and sometimes we don't get any."
A spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) says the agency is aware of the shortage and data shows Adderall and other ADHD prescriptions have been on the rise.
Dr. Connelly believes that increase and demand, along with some potential manufacturing delays, may be causing the shortage.
Mckenna Wiggins is a junior at USC, who says she's been prescribed Adderall since she was in first grade. She says her prescription is due in the next week, and she isn't confident will be filled on time.
"It is definitely a necessity if I want to get my school work done in a timely manner," Wiggins said.
Connelly says he expects the shortage to resolve itself in the next few months and hopes to be operating normally by January. He says families should be on the lookout for two other shortages including Tamiflu and amoxicillin, both of which he he hopes will be also be resolved soon.