This article is featured in The Canberra Times and is republished with permission.
The ACT government will be looking to NSW as it prepares to allow general practitioners to diagnose and prescribe medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
ADHD is a developmental disorder that starts in early childhood and impacts the brain's executive functioning.
More people are seeking ADHD diagnoses for themselves and their children as awareness of the condition grows, according to the Australian Psychological Society.
It impacts about 8 per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults, but is underdiagnosed in women.
Some GPs able to diagnose, administer medication
The NSW government announced it would allow some GPs to diagnose and medicate children from early 2026, with adults to follow.
While all GPs will be able to prescribe medication when a person is stable on them, only a small cohort of specially trained GPs will be able to diagnose ADHD and initiate medication.
Currently, in all states except Queensland, psychiatrists and paediatricians are the only medical professionals able to diagnose ADHD.
There are long waitlists, few public health services and assessments can cost thousands of dollars.
Many territorians already go interstate or use telehealth to get assessed and treated for ADHD.
A federal government inquiry into ADHD found the current health system was "grossly inadequate" for people with the neurodivergent condition.
ACT government looking to NSW
People with ADHD can be prescribed stimulant and non-stimulant medication to help manage symptoms.
Stimulants used to treat ADHD - like dexamfetamine (Aspen) lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) and methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Delmosart, Equasym, Medikinet) - are categorised as Schedule 8 medications under federal law.
There are strict regulations around the prescribing of these medications because they come with a higher risk of harm, including death.
Currently, GPs in the ACT need approval from the Chief Health Officer to prescribe Schedule 8 medications.
This will change as the ACT government committed at the 2024 election to allow GPs to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD.
"This commitment is in recognition of the need to improve access to diagnosis and treatment of ADHD for Canberrans," an ACT government spokesperson said.
"The ACT government is currently in the planning phase of this work, to be followed by stakeholder engagement and consultation.
"We are working closely with the federal government and other jurisdictions to align approaches to ADHD prescribing and diagnoses where possible.
"The NSW government announcement is welcome and will inform the ongoing work in the ACT."
Changing lives and ADHD assessment guidelines
RACGP NSW&ACT Chair Rebekah Hoffman said the proposed NSW laws would change lives.
"It's no longer a diagnosis that will have a stigma attached to it," she said.
"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."
The Australasian ADHD professional associations guide says "a thorough assessment is needed to make a diagnosis of ADHD including careful assessment of possible co-occurring or alternative conditions".
The group says a person should not be diagnosed with ADHD before receiving a full clinical, psychosocial, developmental, medical and mental health assessment. This includes observer reports and an assessment of the person's symptoms and mental state.
Symptoms must cause clinically significant psychological, social and/or educational or occupational impairment and be pervasive, occurring in two or more important settings.