Washington, DC— Today Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Henry A. Waxman, Subcommittee Ranking Members Diana DeGette and Frank Pallone, Jr., and Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen sent letters to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and to the CEOs of Shire Pharmaceuticals and Novartis regarding recent reports of shortages of the generic versions of drugs used to treat attention deficit disorder (ADD).  Reports indicate that drug manufacturers may be manipulating the market to create an artificial shortage of the generic ADD drugs and force patients to purchase the more expensive brand-name drugs.  Reports have also indicated that DEA policies regarding ADD drug quotas may be exacerbating these shortages.

The full text of the letters is available online here.