Changes to ADHD prescriptions are coming for NSW residents. “The Minns Labor Government will enable GPs to provide ongoing ADHD prescriptions for children and adults who are on stable doses of medication, without the need of a formal arrangement,” the NSW Department of Health announced last week.
Training programs will also be set up that, when completed, will certify GPs to diagnose new patients with ADHD and prescribe medication.
The move followed similar changes in Western Australia. The ACT is expected to follow shortly.
These moves in turn followed the recommendations of a 2024 Senate inquiry, which included “that the Commonwealth expedite the development of uniform prescribing rules” for ADHD. The recommendation was supported by the federal government.
ADHD prescriptions are currently handled by psychiatric specialists. The specialist visit means substantial wait times and cost.
Letting GPs handle some of the work should mean greater access and affordability for those living with the condition. The Department described them as “game-changing reforms to reduce wait times and costs”.
“By safely training more GPs to treat and diagnose ADHD, we are hoping to break the cycle of people having to wait years for, what can be, a life-altering diagnosis,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns in a statement. “Not getting diagnosed and not being able to access treatment can have a particularly big impact on a child getting the most out of their life, whether that’s academically or socially.”
The Australian Psychiatric Society has also been supportive of the move.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners hopes that the shift to GP diagnosis and prescription will also shift the stigma around the condition. “It’s no longer a diagnosis that will have a stigma attached to it,” said the College’s NSW and ACT Chair. “It’s not something that you’ll have to wait three years to see a paediatrician or spend really large amounts of money to see a psychiatrist.”
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