A practical guide for providers and prescribers to help patients locate Amantadine during the ongoing shortage, including pharmacy strategies and clinical workarounds.
The ongoing Amantadine shortage is creating real challenges for patients and the providers who manage their care. Patients are showing up at appointments anxious about running out of medication, and pharmacy callbacks about stock-outs are becoming routine. This guide offers practical, actionable strategies to help your patients find Amantadine — and manage their care effectively when supply is limited.
For a comprehensive clinical overview of the shortage, including alternative prescribing strategies, see our provider-focused Amantadine shortage update.
Before advising patients, it helps to understand what's actually available:
The key takeaway: the drug itself is not gone — specific formulations are scarce. Flexibility in prescribing can often solve the access problem.
If your patient's pharmacy can't fill Amantadine capsules, the simplest fix is often writing a new prescription for Amantadine tablets. The active ingredient and dosing are identical. Many pharmacies have tablet stock from different manufacturers even when capsules are unavailable.
Action step: When writing or e-prescribing Amantadine, specify "tablets" rather than "capsules" to maximize fill success. Consider adding "may dispense tablets or capsules" if your e-prescribing system allows.
For patients who can't access any solid oral form, the Amantadine oral solution (50 mg/5 mL) is generally available. Dosing is straightforward:
The solution can be particularly useful for:
Rather than having your staff make dozens of phone calls, direct patients to tools that can search for pharmacy availability:
Consider printing or sharing a link to our patient guide on finding Amantadine in stock as a handout.
Independent pharmacies often use different wholesaler relationships than chain pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid). This means they may have access to Amantadine stock that chains don't. Encourage patients to:
Mail-order pharmacies order in larger quantities and may maintain better supply chains for generic medications:
If generic Amantadine is truly inaccessible, brand-name Gocovri or Osmolex ER may be the fallback. Most payers will require:
Pro tip: Some pharmacy benefit managers have established shortage exception pathways. Ask the payer's PA department specifically about drug shortage overrides — they may have a streamlined process.
If a patient's supply is genuinely running out with no resupply option, you need a proactive taper plan:
Consider running a report in your EMR/EHR for patients currently prescribed Amantadine. A proactive outreach — phone call, patient portal message, or scheduled appointment — can prevent crisis situations.
Develop a brief office protocol for your team:
Front desk staff and medical assistants fielding calls should know:
Share these resources with your patients to help them navigate the shortage independently:
The Amantadine shortage requires flexibility, proactive planning, and clear patient communication. With the right strategies in place, you can help your patients maintain access to the treatment they need.
You focus on staying healthy. We'll handle the rest.
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