A spike in demand for anxiety and depression drugs has led to shortages of some forms of the commonly used antidepressant Zoloft and its generic, sertraline.
Drugmaker Lupin also cited a shortage of the active ingredient, as well as an increase in demand for the product, which is expected to be on backorder for several months.in the number of prescriptions filled per week between mid-February and mid-March for medicines to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia, according to Express Scripts, a prescription benefit plan provider.
The company said the increase peaked the week of March 15, just after the"I haven't talked to a single patient who isn't anxious," said Dr. Philip Muskin, a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. He also said he's noted a recent uptick in patients asking for medications to help them sleep.Also Wednesday, a survey published in thefound the percentage of U.S. adults who say they're feeling anxious, sad, depressed or uncertain has more than tripled in the past two years. The survey, which included responses from 1,468 adults, found 13.6 percent reported psychological distress in April 2020, up from 3.9 percent surveyed in 2018.The increase was most notable among Hispanics, adults under age 30 and people in low-income households. "Young adults in particular surprised me a bit," said Beth McGinty, lead author of the new report and associate professor in the department of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. "We've been talking so much about how worried we are about older adults who may be isolated. But actually, it's young adults who seem to be having the most issues," she said. The survey did not ask participants why they had these feelings of despair, but McGinty said it likely reflects the pandemic's impact on education and job opportunities for younger adults just starting out in their careers.
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Antidepressant Zoloft and generic version in short supply, FDA saysThe shortage follows a sharp increase in reports of depression and anxiety in the U.S.
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