Stimulant Stewardship: A Pharmacist’s Guide to ADHD Prescribing During Drug Shortages

Program Description

As the clinical landscape for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) evolves, pharmacists serve as essential navigators for patients facing complex diagnostic journeys and significant barriers to care. The burden of undiagnosed or undertreated ADHD extends far beyond core symptoms, often manifesting as profound economic, academic, and psychological strain that diminishes a patient’s quality of life across the lifespan. To address these challenges, the current treatment armamentarium offers a diverse range of stimulants alongside increasingly utilized nonstimulant options, some featuring distinct pharmacokinetic profiles and novel delivery systems designed to optimize adherence. However, the management of these therapies has been recently complicated by persistent drug shortages and shifting regulatory requirements, creating a volatile environment for both providers and patients. Navigating these supply chain disruptions and implementing drug shortage protocols is a critical competency for pharmacists, who must be prepared to facilitate seamless formulation switching and class transitions while maintaining rigorous diversion monitoring. Through education on these logistical and clinical hurdles, pharmacists can proactively collaborate with the care team to ensure that medication access remains stable despite market instability. This activity provides the evidence-based strategies necessary to balance clinical efficacy with the practical realities of modern pharmacy practice, ultimately safeguarding patient outcomes in an era of unpredictable resource availability.

Target audience: Community pharmacists
Type of activity: Application
Release date: July 23, 2026
Expiration date: July 23, 2027
Learner level: Foundational
Time to complete activity: 1.0 hour
Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Explain the clinical manifestations of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and treatment burden of undiagnosed or undertreated ADHD
• Differentiate the pharmacokinetic profiles of stimulants and nonstimulants for ADHD, including mechanisms of action, formulations, and adverse effect profiles
• Utilize drug-shortage tracking tools to proactively manage supply chain disruptions, formulation switching, and care team collaboration

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 1.0 contact hour (0.10 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-26-237-H01-P. The activity is available for CE credit through July 23, 2027.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, view the activity in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Disclosures

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose:

Faculty

Mary Accomando, PharmD, BCPP

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta

Any relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.

At least one anonymous peer reviewer was used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.

Educational Disclaimer

Continuing professional education activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved by the labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

For questions about this internet CPE activity, please contact:
ceinfo@pharmacytimes.com

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