ADHD prescribing

Stimulant medications such as dexamfetamine, methylphenidate and long-acting versions are used to treat ADHD, although non-stimulant treatment options exist. Stimulant medications are schedule 8 (s8) medications and subject to different state or territory regulations governing authorised prescribers, maximum doses, patient age restrictions and mandatory approvals, authorisations or permits.

PBS prescriptions

Practitioners issuing PBS prescriptions are subject to PBS requirements governing clinical, patient population and treatment criteria, which vary between different stimulants. These are distinct from s8 state and territory regulations. All PBS stimulant prescriptions require a PBS authority number and must be written on an individual PBS prescription form [2] in addition to meeting specific clinical, patient population and treatment criteria. There are maximum allowable specific quantities, doses and the frequency of repeat prescriptions under the PBS.

Real-time monitoring systems

Prescribers in Victoria [3], South Australia [4], Queensland [5], Northern Territory [6] and Tasmania [7] must use real time monitoring systems when prescribing stimulant medications. Prescribers of schedule 4 (s4), s8 and other monitored medications must be registered with ScriptCheckWA, effective since 12 June 2025 [8]. It is strongly recommended all practitioners use these systems prior to prescribing all monitored medicines, including s8 stimulants.

Impact on fitness to drive

ADHD can impair a patient’s driving ability due to deficits in planning and prioritising tasks, sustaining and shifting focus and emotional regulation [9] and its impact is individualised. The type of vehicle and licence class also informs this. Patients must report a diagnosis of ADHD and any associated medication use to the relevant road traffic authority. Practitioners must make a report when a medical condition can affect their patient’s driving ability in some jurisdictions. Specific requirements are detailed in Austroads national driver medical standards.

Approvals, authorisations or permits

Stimulant prescribers in some states [10] and territories [11] must obtain approvals or authorisations in certain circumstances. This includes prescriptions exceeding maximum permissible daily doses [12] or age limits. [13]

Interstate prescribing requirements apply

Interstate prescribing requirements vary between jurisdictions. Interstate stimulant prescriptions are valid in certain states or territories [14], whilst others are not. [15] Prescriptions may require ongoing approval or authorisation requirements. [16]

New state and territory regulations

Prescribers should be aware of these additional requirements in addition to jurisdiction specific requirements. Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory have announced significant regulatory changes. These reforms enable specialist general practitioners (GPs) to initiate and continue managing stimulant medications for treating ADHD, subject to completing additional training. Specialist GPs who have not completed this training must continue abiding by the regulations governing shared care or co-prescribing.

All prospective stimulant prescribers must be aware of all applicable regulatory requirements that impact their prescribing. Below are the current legislative requirements across the various states and territories in Australia, current at the time of publication.

Queensland

Recent updates came into effect on 1 December 2025 in Queensland, allowing medical practitioners to initiate, titrate and prescribe stimulants for ADHD treatment. It is the only jurisdiction to authorise non-specialist medical practitioners to prescribe psychostimulants without requiring prior approval from the Medicines Approvals and Regulation Unit (MARU). Authorisation extends to other treatment indications such as brain injury and narcolepsy, subject some age and dose restrictions. Non-specialist practitioners are limited to providing ADHD prescriptions to children aged four to seventeen years inclusive. [17]

Specific specialist medical practitioners can prescribe stimulants without prior approval to treat ADHD for a wider cohort in addition to this. Specialist general practitioners can prescribe stimulants to adult patients to treat ADHD. Paediatricians can prescribe simulants to treat ADHD in children and young adults up to 24 years inclusive. Psychiatrists can prescribe stimulants to treat ADHD for both adults and children.

All medical practitioners may prescribe up to 40mg a day for dexamfetamine, 70mg a day for lisdexamfetamine and 80mg a day for methylphenidate [18]. Non-transferable approvals must be granted before prescribing stimulants above the maximum daily dose [19]. Approvals are required to prescribe stimulants outside the authorised age limit or indication and are available for those prescribing in Queensland only. Interstate prescribers cannot obtain approvals [20]. Prescribers must check QScript prior to prescribing stimulants in all cases [21]. Urine drug screening tests are recommended [22].

Western Australia

Western Australia announced [23] 65 new training positions for GPs aimed at expanding the scope of practice to include independent diagnosis and management of ADHD. Training enables accredited GPs to assess ADHD in patients aged ten and older and prescribe stimulant medications [24]. Practitioners who have not completed the training must continue to abide by current regulations governing co-prescribing.

South Australia

South Australia has trained its first 100 GPs to independently diagnose and manage ADHD [25]. The training enables accredited GPs to assess ADHD in patients aged 8 and older and prescribe stimulant medications [26]. All other practitioners must continue to prescribe stimulants to patients under the current shared care model, noting ongoing prescriptions beyond a 2-month period require an Authority [27] from the Drugs of Dependence Unit.

Australian Capital Territory

The ACT government announced a pilot program to expand the existing continued prescribing arrangements and enable general practitioners to diagnose, initiate and treat ADHD [28].

GPs can continue prescribing ADHD stimulant medications for patients aged 6 and over and do not require individual Chief Health Officer (CHO) patient approvals or ongoing specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician or neurologist review after notifying the CHO upon completion of specified additional training [29].

GPs that have not undertaken the additional training and other medical practitioners must seek approval from the CHO before prescribing stimulants.

Stimulants can be prescribed for the first 2 months without CHO approval, provided the patient is not drug-dependant person and has not been prescribed the same stimulant elsewhere in the previous 2 months [30].

Tasmania

Fifty Tasmanian GPs have commenced training [31] enabling the assessment, diagnosis, and initiation of medication to treat children and adults with ADHD.

The Tasmanian government passed legislation to allow interstate medical practitioners to prescribe psychostimulants for Tasmanian patients, which commenced on 16 February [32]. Interstate prescribers are required to check TasScript prior to prescribing monitored medications to Tasmanian patients in addition to obtaining an authorisation to prescribe [33].

New South Wales

Expressions of interest are currently open for general practitioners to become an ‘endorsed prescriber’. Priority is given to rural and regional GPs and GPs practicing in Aboriginal community-controlled health settings. The training enables GPs to initiate, switch and continue prescribing dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate for patients aged 6 years and older with newly diagnosed ADHD. Training commenced in March, with the next round of training to commence November 2026

Practitioners other than specialist psychiatrist, paediatrician and neurologist prescribers require approvals from the NSW Ministry of Health to prescribe or supply dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine, or methylphenidate [34]. Specialist psychiatrists, paediatricians and neurologists can prescribe without prior approval to treat ADHD in non-drug dependent patients, to a maximum dose of 50mg, 70mg and 108mg for dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine and methylphenidate respectively [35]. An authority number issued by the NSW Ministry of Health must be written on the prescription regardless of which state or territory a prescription is issued in.

Northern Territory

There are no anticipated charges to existing regulations for stimulant prescribing for treatment of ADHD in the Northern Territory, where current guidelines apply.

Prospective prescribers must hold a valid authorisation for each individual patient before issuing a restricted s8 stimulant prescription. Specialist paediatricians, psychiatrists, neurologists, physicians and registrars may supply up to 200 patients. Other practitioners can be authorised for up to 10 patients [36]. It is an offence to issue a prescription without this [37].

Victoria

Current regulations continue to apply in Victoria. Paediatricians (for patients under 18 years old) and psychiatrists are not required to obtain a Schedule 8 treatment permit to treat a patient with a psychostimulant drug [38] provided the patient is not a drug-dependent person [39].

General practitioners must apply for a Schedule 8 treatment permit to write continuation scripts for psychostimulants for a patient where there is evidence of a specialist diagnosis. The permit may be approved for up to 2 years, after which a specialist review is required. The Victorian government has introduced a training program [40] enabling GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD in adults and children aged over 6 years and over, open for an intake of 150 participants from September this year.

References

1. Richard CJ Bradlow, Ferghal Armstrong and Edward Ogden: Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Australia: how its current commercial model for diagnosis and treatment is encouraging misdiagnosis (2025); 223(8) Med J Aust 384.
2. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Prescribing Medicines – Information for PBS Prescribers. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
3. Victoria Government Department of Health. SafeScript for prescribers and pharmacists. Medicines and Poisons Information.
4. SA Health. ScriptCheckSA for prescribers and pharmacists. ScriptCheckSA.
5. Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021 (Qld) s 178.
6. NT Health. Medical practitioners and schedule 8 medicines. Medicines and Poisons.
7. Tasmanian Government Department of Health. TasScript for health practitioners. Real Time Prescription Monitoring.
8. Medicines and Poisons Regulation 2016 (WA) r 22A.
9. Austroads. Assessing Fitness to Drive 7.1.1: Effects of psychiatric conditions on driving.
10. Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW), s28
11. Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012(NT) s 85.
12. Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld) s 67.
13. Government of Western Australia Department of Health. Monitored medicines prescribing code: 3.5.1
14. Tasmanian Government Department of Health. Interstate prescribing in Tasmania.
15. Queensland Health. Prescribing psychostimulants - Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
16. Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW), s28
17. Queensland Health. Prescribing psychostimulants - Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
18. Medicines and Poisons (Medicines) Regulation 2021(Qld) sch 22.
19. Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld) s 67.
20. Queensland Health. Prescribing psychostimulants - Medicines and Poisons Act 2019
21. Medicines and Poisons Act 2019 (Qld) s 41.
22. Australasian ADHD Professionals Association. ADHD medication Prescribing Regulations & Authorities in Australia & New Zealand.
23. Government of Western Australia. Game-changing ADHD reforms to help WA families access care.
24. See ibid.
25. RACGP, News GP. First 100 SA GPs complete ADHD training.
26. RACGP, News GP. SA unveils GP ADHD training program.
27. Government of South Australia. Prescribing drugs of dependence.
28. ABC News. Canberra pilot program to allow select GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication.
29. ACT Government. Prescribing stimulants for ADHD.
30. Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 (ACT), reg 556.
31. RACGP, News GP. First Tassie GPs undertake ADHD training.
32. Tasmanian Government Department of Health. Interstate prescribing in Tasmania.
33. Tasmanian Government Department of Health. Seeking authorization to prescribe S8 psychostimulants in Tasmania
34. Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966 (NSW), s28.
35. NSW Government Health. Class authority to prescribe psychostimulants.
36. Northern Territory Department of Health. Volume 1: Issuing prescriptions, supplying schedule 8 substances.
37. Medicines, Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 2012 (NT) s 85.
38. Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Regulations 2017 (Vic), reg 10(2)
39. Victoria, Gazette: Special, No S 463, 31 August 2023.
40. Victorian Department of Health. ADHD care in general practice.