Your Patients Can't Find Procentra — Here's How You Can Help

You're hearing it in every clinic session: "I can't find my child's medication." Parents are calling multiple pharmacies. Some are driving hours. Others are going without. The Procentra (Dextroamphetamine Sulfate oral solution) shortage has been ongoing since late 2022, and in 2026, it's still one of the most common access complaints from families of children with ADHD.

As a prescriber, you can't fix the supply chain. But you can take steps that meaningfully reduce the burden on your patients and improve their chances of getting the medication they need. This guide outlines five practical actions you can take today.

Current Availability: What You Need to Know

As of early 2026, the situation looks like this:

• Brand Procentra (Independence Pharmaceuticals): Available at some pharmacies but intermittent. Regional variation is significant — some areas report adequate supply while others have none.
• Generic Dextroamphetamine oral solution: Limited manufacturers, many with active back orders. This is the hardest Dextroamphetamine formulation to source consistently.
• Tablets (generic/Zenzedi): More widely available than the liquid form. Starting around $44 with a coupon for generic tablets.
• The DEA quota increase (October 2025, +25% for d-amphetamine) is expected to gradually improve supply through 2026, but pharmacy-level availability remains uneven.

Why Your Patients Can't Find It

Understanding the barriers helps you guide patients more effectively:

1. Niche product, few manufacturers: The oral solution market is small. Only a handful of companies produce Dextroamphetamine in liquid form, making it far more vulnerable to shortages than the widely-produced tablet formulations.
2. Controlled substance logistics: Schedule II drugs can't be easily transferred between pharmacies. Many pharmacies won't disclose C-II stock over the phone. This makes the search process especially difficult for families.
3. Uneven distribution: Even when a manufacturer releases new stock, it doesn't reach all regions simultaneously. Pharmacies served by different wholesalers may have very different availability.
4. Demand outpacing supply: ADHD diagnosis rates continue to increase. More prescriptions are being written than the current supply can support.

5 Steps You Can Take to Help

Step 1: Check Availability Before You Prescribe

The most impactful change you can make is verifying pharmacy stock before writing the prescription. This prevents the frustrating cycle where a patient receives a prescription, goes to the pharmacy, gets turned away, and has to come back for a new script.

Medfinder for Providers allows you or your staff to check real-time availability of Procentra and generic Dextroamphetamine oral solution at pharmacies in the patient's area. Build this into your pre-prescribing workflow for all shortage-affected medications.

Step 2: Have an Alternative Plan Ready

Before the patient leaves your office, have a backup plan in case their pharmacy can't fill the prescription. Discuss alternatives proactively so families aren't left scrambling:

• Zenzedi or generic Dextroamphetamine tablets: Same active ingredient, more widely available. Appropriate for children who can swallow small tablets (typically age 6+).
• Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine): Capsules can be opened and contents dissolved in water. Once-daily dosing, lower abuse potential. FDA-approved for ages 6+. Generic now available.
• Methylphenidate oral solution: Different drug class but also available as a liquid. Good option for patients who specifically need a liquid formulation and can't access Dextroamphetamine.
• Adderall XR: Capsules can be opened and sprinkled on applesauce. Contains mixed amphetamine salts including Dextroamphetamine.

Document the backup plan in the patient's chart so that future visits don't require re-discussion of the same alternatives.

Step 3: Write Flexible Prescriptions When Possible

Within regulatory constraints, consider practices that give pharmacists more flexibility:

• Unless medically necessary, avoid "Dispense As Written" / "Brand Medically Necessary" — this allows the pharmacist to fill with any AB-rated generic Dextroamphetamine oral solution
• Consider writing for a 30-day supply with a note that the patient may need to fill at a different pharmacy if their usual one is out of stock
• If your state allows it, consider writing for a smaller quantity (e.g., two weeks) to increase the chance that a pharmacy has enough stock to fill the order

Step 4: Educate Families on the Search Process

Many parents don't know that tools exist to help them. Take 60 seconds to share these tips:

• "Use medfinder.com to check which pharmacies near you have it in stock"
• "Try independent pharmacies — they sometimes have access to different suppliers"
• "Call pharmacies first thing in the morning when deliveries arrive"
• "Start looking 2-3 days before you run out"

Consider creating a printed handout with these tips for your front desk to distribute. Our patient-facing articles on how to find Procentra in stock and saving money on Procentra can also be shared directly with families.

Step 5: Document the Shortage Impact

Track shortage-related disruptions in your practice:

• Note when patients report inability to fill prescriptions
• Document any treatment gaps caused by medication unavailability
• Record when alternative medications are prescribed due to shortage

This documentation serves multiple purposes: it supports prior authorization requests for alternative medications, provides evidence if adverse outcomes occur during treatment gaps, and contributes to the broader data that policymakers need to justify continued action on the shortage.

Alternatives at a Glance

Quick reference for the most common alternatives to Procentra:

• Dextroamphetamine tablets (generic/Zenzedi): Same ingredient, tablet form. Ages 3+. Cash price ~$44+ with coupon.
• Vyvanse/Lisdexamfetamine: Prodrug of Dextroamphetamine. Ages 6+. Capsules can dissolve in water. ~$30-80 generic with coupon.
• Methylphenidate oral solution: Different class, available as liquid. Ages 6+ (varies by brand).
• Adderall XR (mixed amphetamine salts ER): Capsule can be opened/sprinkled. Ages 6+.

For detailed comparison, see our patient-facing guide on Procentra alternatives.

Workflow Tips for Your Practice

• Pre-visit check: Have your MA or nurse check Medfinder for Procentra availability before the provider enters the room
• Template prescriptions: Keep template prescriptions ready for your top 2-3 alternative medications so switching is quick
• Batch prior authorizations: If multiple patients are affected, work with your office to batch-process PAs for alternative medications
• Proactive outreach: For patients on Procentra, consider a pre-refill check-in (phone or portal message) to address availability issues before they become urgent

Final Thoughts

The Procentra shortage puts providers in a difficult position — you're writing prescriptions you know may not be fillable. But by integrating availability checks into your workflow, maintaining ready alternatives, and equipping families with the right tools, you can significantly reduce the disruption to patient care.

Medfinder for Providers is designed specifically for this purpose — real-time stock data so you can prescribe with confidence that your patient will leave the pharmacy with medication in hand.

For the clinical and regulatory context behind the shortage, see our companion article: Procentra shortage: what providers and prescribers need to know in 2026.