Repeat prescriptions for ADHD medications can now be issued by GPs. Major changes to the way that ADHD medications can be prescribed have been published by the Western Australian Department of Health (October 2024). As of the publishing of this page (August 2025), specific information on these changes is hard to find and there does not seem to be any media release or update for GPs easily publicly available.

The purpose of this page is to make it easier for GPs and patients to find the details and understand what this all means. This is not about the promise that the WA Labor party made to allow GPs to diagnose and initially prescribe medications for ADHD. This is about GPs being able to repeat scripts made by a psychiatrist or paediatrician in the recent past – specific details are below.

When can GPs repeat a script?

• You are continuing an existing medication at the same dose
• The medication is dexamfetamine (‘Dex’), methylphenidate (Ritalin), or lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse)
• The medication has been reviewed by a specialist (psychiatrist or paediatrician )
  • Within the last 3 years for adults 18+
  • Within the last 12 months for under 18s if the case is complex, or 3 years if the case is simple
  • See the summaries below for more information.
• You don’t have a few specific other conditions or medications, such as bipolar, psychosis, substance abuse, or prescribed opioid pain medications

How does the GP do this?

1. Direct your GP to the following Summary of Changes, as it’s likely they haven’t been made aware of them.
2. Your GP likely also needs to review the full criteria to check you are eligible, including checking for any restrictions listed on ScriptCheckWA.
3. Your GP can then prescribe continuing stimulant medication of the same type and dose without further authorisation.
   • Prior to October 2024, a GP could only continue a script with the explicit written permission and agreement from the relevant specialist (psychiatrist or paediatrician )

Summary: when authorisation is and is not required

Adult Summary

This summary is from Page 19 of the Monitored Medicines Prescribing Code, December 2024 when prescribing for adults, 18 years and over.

Youth

This summary is from Page 25 of the Monitored Medicines Prescribing Code, December 2024 when prescribing for youth, under 18 years.

If the case is simple, you can prescribe for up to 3 years without a review. If the case is complex, then they must be reviewed annually by the relevant specialist.

Dosing Guide

Will this Cause Problems with my Psychiatrist / Paediatrician?

A Current Psychiatrist / Paediatrician

• Most psychiatrists like to check in once per 6 months, to ensure that there is no significant change or problem.
• If the gap is too large between your last visit, then trying to see them again may be delayed as you are treated as a new patient rather than an ongoing patient.
• If your psychiatrist is full at the point that you return, you may not be able to see them and may need to see a new psychiatrist.
• However, if your last script has elapsed and your new appointment with the psychiatrist is after your medication has run out, then seeing your GP for a repeat script is exactly what this new system is best for.

If you are between Psychiatrist / Paediatrician

You may be between psychiatrists, transitioning from one to another. Finding a new psychiatrist can take time, which can often leave us vulnerable when it comes to ensuring good maintenance of medications. In this circumstance, seeing your GP for repeat scripts is excellent.

When is this a Bad Idea?

Asking your GP for a re-script may not be a good idea if:

• The last medications from your Psychiatrist / Paediatrician are not working well for you
• If it has been more than a year since your saw your paediatrician or 3 years for your psychiatrist
• If your relationship with your GP is not good
  • If this is a new GP, they may not feel confident to do this
  • If your GP is not supportive of your mental health and ADHD diagnosis

GPs Diagnosing and Treating ADHD

As part of fulfilling the Labor Party’s election promise, GPs can now enrol into training to diagnose and treat ADHD. The first batch are expected to be ready to work with ADHD in early 2026 (RACGP) with at least one more batch of GPs being ready mid year.

The WA Labor Party are fulfilling their election promise to allow GPs to diagnosed and prescribe medications for ADHD. To do this, GPs need to enroll in to relevant training and get approval to diagnosed and prescribe medications for ADHD. The first batch of doctors are expect to be able to begin doing this around March 2026 (RACGP says “early 2026”, a friend of mine who enrolled in the program expects it to be March).

Is this a good thing?

GPs are General Practitioners, which means they are generalists, not specialists. GPs can diagnosed and treat many common conditions that don’t involve specialist complexity. When a GP recognises a condition or category of condition that requires a professional who specialises in that condition, they should refer you to that specialist. Traditionally, this is what happens with ADHD. Consider, though, that ADHD is considered to be present in 5% of the population (according to the ABS), which is more common than red hair, and more common than blue eyes. Dr Karl Kruszelnicki says “any condition that is more than 1% of the population is considered common”.

ADHD Medications are categorised as restricted – that is, scheduled medications. Scheduled medications are classified this way because they are either very deadly if handled slightly inaccurately, but mostly due to the risk of addiction. ADHD medications do run the risk of being a bit addictive. ADHD medications at scripted levels are not biologically addictive. People can mistake the ADHDer now becoming functional and wanting to stay functional and thus insisting that they need their medication to live instead of exist as an addiction. If you compare ADHD medication to glasses, you may be able to understand this difference. Imagine if the government banned glasses – you can’t wear them, sell them or buy them. Not having glasses won’t kill you, and most people will be fine without using glasses. There are many people that become functionally disabled if you stop them from being able to use their ability aids – the glasses. If you ban ADHD medication from ADHDers, some may manage with difficulty, many will become functionally disabled.

A counter to the scheduled medication issue is that GPs often prescribe scheduled medications for patients who have been diagnosed by a specialist – why not for ADHD? GPs can prescribe amphetamines for a number of conditions, just not for ADHD. Once client I saw was diagnosed by the sleep clinic with narcolepsy. He responded positively to around 30 mg of dex daily. Once that was established, his GP took over managing his medication with no end point or review scheduled by the sleep clinic. Daily 30 mg of dex is a common dose for managing ADHD. This shows that it isn’t about the medication itself – it is about discriminating against ADHD.

A WA ADHD psychiatrist I talked to about this shared with me his concerns. He said that ADHD is a complex condition that often requires nuance to treat well and he fears that this is beyond the time available for many GPs and their knowledge. I said that people who have relatively simple to diagnosed and treat ADHD could see the GP and the more complex cases can be referred to ADHD psychiatrists, to which he responded to me (a therapists who specialises in ADHD) “how many ADHDers do you know that are relatively simple?” – fair point, not many. But then again, I specialise in complex cases, so my sample is likely to be biased.

Some counterpoints.

• Once an ADHDer has a stable dose, they don’t need that specialist level intervention. Most stable ADHDers only see their psychiatrist for 10 minutes every 6 months to get a new script. Surely a GP can do this, and for much cheaper.
• Many ADHDers present fairly typically and a GP can diagnose this just as easily as an ADHD Psychiatrist, but for much cheaper.
• Many newly diagnosed ADHDers respond positively to the common ADHD medications without serious complication, and surely the GP can do this too.

In summary, there is no good reason why GPs couldn’t diagnosed and treat relatively straight forward ADHD, or continue to treat stable ADHD, much like how they manage other common conditions that you can be referred to a specialist for, such as reproductive system (gynaecology for example). If the GP feels that the presentation requires a specialist, then they can refer that person to the ADHD Psychiatrist for specialist help, or if you have good reason to think you have ADHD but your GP isn’t specialised enough to recognise this, you can ask for a referral to an ADHD Psychiatrist who can then diagnosed your a-typical presentation.

Bonus news

Interstate Scripts

Recent changes included in this update also allow prescriptions for stimulant medications issued via telehealth or from other states of Australia to be accepted by WA pharmacists.

Are you waiting for diagnosis?

Waitlists for ADHD diagnosis by psychiatrists and paediatricians have been exceeding 9-12 months.

• These changes are made to hopefully free up a lot of appointments and cut those waiting times.
• Call your specialist in a few weeks and see if you can get an earlier appointment.
  • Ask if you can be put on to the cancellation list (where someone cancels and they’d like to fill that appointment with someone else).
• Or try one of the newer national telehealth providers.

As with any provider, make sure they have the correct registrations to diagnose and to prescribe medication.

• There are some companies that will charge you a great deal of money and take months of time to assess that you should indeed go and get a formal diagnosis and medication.
• To call this a scam is a strong word, but it isn’t very honest if they haven’t made it clear that they cannot prescribe medications on a positive assessment / diagnosis.
• To check
  • See if the website does not make it clear that the diagnosis is made by a relevant paediatrician or psychiatrist
  • If the website of the company does not make it clear that this is true, then email them and ask them specifically:

If under 18 years of age:

“Is my assessment made by a relavently qualified paediatrician who can prescribe ADHD stimulant medication?”

If over 18 years of age:

“Is my assessment made by a relavently qualified psychiatrist who can prescribe ADHD stimulant medication?”

• A psychiatrist is a specialist medical doctor who prescribes psychiatric medication.
  • They do the formal diagnosis
  • They write scripts for medication treatment
• A psychologist is a talking therapist.
  • They may do some diagnoses, but not of ADHD
  • They don’t generally write scripts
  • They do the talking therapy (CBT, DBT etc)