Many patients are still having a hard time finding the prescription drug Adderall, often used to treat hyperactivity disorders.

Experts say the shortage might be getting worse, and that means people who take Adderall might have to spend a lot more time tracking down a pharmacy that has it in supply or even switch to a different medication.

Pharmacists and psychiatrists says the shortage has people who depend on the drug in a panic.

Heather Thomas as been taking Adderall for the past four years for Attention Deficit Disorder. She says it's helped her focus at work.

"For a long time, I thought there's something wrong with me that I couldn't figure out," said Thomas. "It's not a sleep thing, it's a focus thing. To know there's something out there that can actually help me - it's a great thing."

When Thomas tried to fill her prescription this month, her pharmacy said it didn't have the drug.

"So I kind of had to scramble, shop around," Thomas said "And I was lucky enough to find a pharmacy that had it this time around."

Thomas isn't the only one in the area who's had trouble filling her prescription. Polly Cove, a pharmacist at Knight Drugs in Lansing, says she's received calls from all over the area looking for the drug.

"I've talked to patients who've called upwards of 20 pharmacies and hadn't found any," Cove said. "They call here, I tell them we have some and they're very excited."

Some pharmacies seem to be in better supply than others, but it's not clear what is actually causing the shortage of Adderall.

"Drug companies are saying the government is not allowing them to make enough," said psychiatrist Dr. Blake Casher. "Well, the government is saying the drug companies are holding back, hoping to raise the prices."

Industry professionals aren't very optimistic Adderall will be back in supply any time soon.

"They don't think that the 2012 year is going to make much difference," explained Casher. "It's going to be more of the same. I hope it will change, but I think we'll just have to wait and see."

That leaves patients like Heather Thomas worried about the future.

"It makes me really nervous," Thomas said. "It's something I use everyday, and when there is a shortage you wonder if there's going to be that time when you can't get it, and you have to worry about if you can work or do other things during the day."

In a 2011 report, the FDA blamed the worsening drug shortages on complicated legal, regulatory, and economic factors. Teva, the company that produces Adderall, says the shortage is due to quota restrictions. The Obama administration and pharmaceutical associations have suggested solutions to address the problem. In the meantime, the millions of Americans with hyperactivity disorders will have to deal with the consequences of the shortage.