IN A move hailed as a breakthrough by ADHD advocates, GPs in NSW can now diagnose and treat people with ADHD.
At present, most people seeking a diagnosis, management and ongoing prescription medication for ADHD must see a specialist, which can be extremely expensive and entail long waiting lists.
In NSW the situation is compounded by industrial action on the part of psychiatrists (PD 16 Jan).
The initiative will enable GPs to provide ongoing ADHD prescriptions for children and adults who are on stable doses of medication, without the need of a formal arrangement.
A smaller number of GPs will be able to diagnose and initiate medication where appropriate.
In both instances, GPs will be required to undertake accredited training, funded by NSW Health, and receive mentorship and access to resources.
NSW is the third state to implement reforms to make it easier for people to access treatment for ADHD.
In Queensland, GPs can prescribe certain ADHD medications for children without a prescribing approval, and Western Australia has proposed to allow patients to receive a diagnosis and treatment from specialist GPs with specific skills and additional training in ADHD diagnosis and management.
In welcoming the NSW Government's announcement today, Professor David Coghill, President of the Australasian ADHD Professionals Association, said: "This is not about replacing specialists; it's about equipping GPs to do what they do best: deliver timely, patient-centred care and to ensure that they can do this within a safe, supported evidence-based framework."
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