GPs to prescribe ADHD medication under proposed shake-up
GPs will be able to prescribe controlled stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder under a proposed shake-up by ADHD health experts.
GPs will be able to prescribe controlled stimulant medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder under a proposed shake-up by ADHD health experts.
Under new guidelines released on Thursday, the Australian ADHD Professions Association is calling for GPs to be upskilled in ADHD diagnosis and treatment.
In a bid to combat growing waiting times for ADHD treatment, GPs will be trained in ADHD identification and given the same prescribing rights as psychiatrists and paediatricians.
Prescriptions for ADHD medications have more than doubled in the past decade, forcing many psychiatrists and paediatricians to close their books to new patients. With newly diagnosed patients waiting up to two years to see an authorised prescriber, experts say integrated care between GPs and specialists is crucial to close the widening gap.
Specialist ADHD paediatrician and association director Alison Poulton is running a pilot trial that aims to train GPs in the treatment of ADHD and the prescription of controlled medication. With ADHD diagnosis on the rise, she fears Australia is quickly running out of specialists.
“One of the biggest problems faced by people with ADHD is access to medication they need. The current regulatory system is a mess. They vary from one state to the other and in most states, GP prescription of medication is very restricted. It is mainly specialists who can prescribe, and there aren’t enough to go around.
“The more ADHD gets recognised, the more people are closing their books because there just aren’t the number of prescribers the population needs.”
Western Sydney mother Jo Baxter welcomed the trial, saying waiting times have significantly increased in the 10 years since her eldest son, Ciaron, was diagnosed by Dr Poulton. In recent years, she has struggled to find a paediatrician for her youngest son, William, who also has ADHD.
“It would be significantly easier to deal with a GP rather than trying to find a paediatrician; to find a paediatrician that will bulk bill will easily take you 18 months to two years,” Ms Baxter said.
“The only way we could see someone sooner was by going to a private clinic.”
While rules around ADHD medication vary from state to state, generally only paediatricians and psychiatrists are authorised to prescribe stimulants. To receive medication, those diagnosed with ADHD must see a medical specialist on an ongoing basis. Only in very limited circumstances is a GP authorised to prescribe medication.
The clinical trial, to start this year, hopes to bring GPs into the ADHD treatment process. Under the proposed model, GPs will attend 12 clinics, where they learn about the condition. They will then be authorised to prescribe for trial patients with ADHD.
While endorsing the trial, AADPA president Mark Bellgrove said delivering the support people with ADHD needed to live their best lives would require more than providing greater access to the NDIS or allowing GPs to diagnose and prescribe for their condition. “It will require a total reconfiguration of the health system,” he said.
Some 800,000 Australians have been diagnosed with ADHD, with 219,000 of them children.