A wave of significant legislative reforms across multiple Australian states is set to dramatically improve access to diagnosis and treatment for the estimated one million-plus Australians living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The changes focus on granting trained General Practitioners (GPs) the authority to diagnose ADHD and prescribe stimulant medication, a role historically restricted to paediatricians and psychiatrists, leading to a “postcode lottery” of care.
Ending the Specialist Bottleneck
The new policies—announced in states including New South Wales (NSW), Western Australia (WA), and South Australia (SA)—directly address long wait times and exorbitant out-of-pocket costs, which can exceed $2,000 for a diagnosis alone.
NSW and SA have announced plans to train a cohort of GPs to assess, diagnose, and initiate medication for both children and adults.
WA has implemented new regulations allowing trained GPs to assess ADHD and prescribe stimulant medications for patients aged 10 and older.
Queensland already permits specialist GPs to diagnose and prescribe for children and adolescents.
The reforms are backed by the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) and align with a key recommendation from a 2023 Senate inquiry into ADHD treatment. The national consensus is that expanding the GP’s scope of practice, supported by robust specialist training and mentorship, is the most effective way to ensure timely and affordable care, particularly in regional and lower socioeconomic areas which have been disproportionately affected by the access crisis.
The Context of Surging Diagnosis Rates
The need for reform has been accelerated by a dramatic increase in ADHD diagnoses and medication prescriptions. Data shows a particularly sharp surge in adult diagnoses, especially among women, a cohort historically under-diagnosed. Experts argue this rise is not due to an increase in prevalence (which is stable at around 7% for children and 2.5% for adults), but rather a correction of decades of under-diagnosis driven by increased public awareness, partly due to online communities, and the relaxation of diagnostic criteria for adults in recent years.
Source Link: ADHD treatment access a ‘postcode lottery’