KevinMD November 29, 2025
A 2022 KevinMD article raised concerns about generic formulations of ADHD medications. The author described what many patients and families had already discovered: Not all generics are created equal. For those of us who lived through the substitutions, the difference was not abstract. It was a roller coaster that intruded on daily life, even on vacation.
The generic in question was manufactured by Mallinckrodt. Unlike Concerta, which uses an osmotic-controlled release oral delivery system (OROS), Mallinckrodt’s version relied on a release profile closer to Ritalin LA. The distinction matters. Concerta’s osmotic pump delivers methylphenidate steadily throughout the day, minimizing peaks and troughs. Mallinckrodt’s round tablet, by contrast, produced bursts of medication followed by crashes. Patients who had relied on Concerta’s...
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