A prescription medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has returned to shelves after a global shortage during the end of 2023, but remains a costly solution for individuals.
Vyvanse is a relatively expensive solution for treating Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, according to local pharmacist Caren Coetzer. PHOTO: Antoinette Steyn
This was according to Caren Coetzer, a pharmacist at Stelkor Pharmacy, Stellenbosch. Coetzer claimed that the medication, known as Vyvanse, is “too expensive” to significantly grow in sales.
In August 2023, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, the company that produces Vyvanse, published a statement on its Australian patient website, saying that there was a “manufacturing delay compounded by increased demand”.
No cheaper alternative
Vyvanse contains the active ingredient lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, and is used to treat ADHD as well as Binge Eating Disorder (BED). This is according to the patient information leaflet that Takeda Pharmaceuticals published.
The South African Medicine Price Registry (MPR) lists the costs of Vyvanse 30mg and 50mg as R1 142.23 and R1 283.01 respectively, for a pack of 30 pills. SMF News visited four local pharmacies at the start of March, and none of these pharmacies had any 70mg Vyvanse in stock at the time.
Vyvanse is available in 30mg, 50mg and 70mg, according to Takeda’s patient information leaflet. PHOTO: Madelein Steijn
According to a local pharmacist who spoke to SMF News on condition of anonymity, Vyvanse does not have a less expensive generic alternative, unlike other ADHD medications such as Concerta. The MPR lists Acerta, a generic substitute for Concerta, as R628.21, which is R487 less than Concerta.
The pharmacist said that the distribution of Vyvanse has remained constant, and has not increased since the end of the shortage. “We sell a daily average of three prescriptions. I don’t see it increasing much soon,” they said.
‘The exception, not the rule’
Medical aid schemes in South Africa are not required by law to cover medical costs associated with the treatment of ADHD, because it does not qualify for the Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) or Chronic Disease List (CDL). This is outlined in the Medical Schemes Act. Discovery Health does not include Vyvanse in their latest Chronic Illness Benefit medicine list.
According to Tania Kapp, pharmacist at the Neelsie branch of Stelkor, students do not have much incentive to prefer Vyvanse over Concerta in treating ADHD.
“The majority [of students buying ADHD medication] are still on the old stuff. Vyvanse is the exception, not the rule,” said Kapp.
After a global shortage, the prescription medication used to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Vyvanse, is once again available at pharmacies in South Africa. PHOTO: Antoinette Steyn