For most of the last decade, psychiatrists and paediatricians were generally the clinicians authorised to initiate Schedule 8 stimulant medication for ADHD. GPs have long been well placed to diagnose ADHD, and have prescribed under shared-care arrangements with the right authority and a Schedule 8 permit, but state rules meant they usually could not independently diagnose and start treatment. That is what is changing, state by state, and it is the biggest shift in who can diagnose and initiate that general practice has seen in years. Below is where each jurisdiction sits as of mid-2026, and what the change actually means once you are the one holding the script.

A note before the detail: the headlines tend to say "GPs can now prescribe ADHD medication," which flattens a lot of nuance. Many GPs already prescribe, under shared care. The genuinely new part is that select trained or fellowed GPs in some states can now assess, diagnose and initiate treatment themselves. The reality is staged, and it differs everywhere.

Two roles, not one

The reforms generally create two distinct GP roles, and the difference matters.

A continuation prescriber can continue a stimulant that a specialist started, for a stable patient with an existing diagnosis, usually after a short accredited course. They are not diagnosing or initiating.

An endorsed prescriber (the terminology varies by state) can diagnose ADHD and initiate treatment after more comprehensive training. This is the bigger change, and it is arriving later and in smaller numbers than continuation prescribing.

Most states opened continuation first and are phasing in diagnosis and initiation behind it.

State by state (as of mid-2026)

Queensland

Moved first. Since December 2025, eligible fellowed GPs can diagnose and initiate for adults, within set dose limits and without a mandatory extra course, using the AADPA guideline. Eligibility is simply being a fellowed GP, there is no additional training requirement. The reform is adults-only, children were already covered under a separate, pre-existing pathway. QScript monitoring applies.

New South Wales

A staged model. Continuation prescribing has been live since 1 September 2025, with more than 800 trained GPs. Stage 2, endorsed prescribers who can diagnose and initiate, commenced training in March 2026 and the first cohorts are expected to complete around September 2026. NSW also has strict authority rules: every psychostimulant prescription issued in NSW must carry the relevant NSW authority number.

South Australia

From February 2026, trained GPs can diagnose and prescribe for children aged 8 and over and adults, after an RACGP program. The first cohort of 100 GPs is trained and active, with a second 100 planned by year end. Authority applications go through ScriptCheckSA.

Western Australia

GPs are already diagnosing and initiating. The first cohort began training in late October 2025, and after a mandatory six-month co-management period the first WA GPs started diagnosing and initiating in early 2026. The August 2026 date often quoted refers to the full rollout of 65 GPs across three cohorts, not the point at which diagnosis begins.

ACT

Continuation prescribing without repeat specialist review from 11 February 2026, for patients aged 6 and over with an existing diagnosis, with a diagnosis-and-initiation stage flagged for later in the year.

Victoria

Continuation only, on a per-patient permit basis with two-yearly specialist review. An initial cohort of around 150 GPs is due to begin diagnosis-and-treatment training from September 2026, backed by $750,000 in funding, though legislative change is still pending. Until then, GP prescribing remains continuation-only through existing permit arrangements.

Tasmania

GPs with a 59E authority can continue prescribing for an existing specialist diagnosis, and the state began recognising interstate Schedule 8 prescriptions, including psychostimulants, from 16 February 2026. Tasmania is also running its own GP training pathway toward independent diagnosis and initiation, announced in May 2026, so there is more underway than continuation alone.

Northern Territory

No GP diagnosis reform announced. The per-patient Schedule 8 permit model, which requires specialist sign-off under shared care, still applies.

Above all of this, Health Ministers have established an advisory group working toward harmonised drugs and poisons legislation and a nationally consistent approach to GP ADHD care, so expect the map to keep moving.

What it means once you are prescribing

The clinical training is the visible part of the reform. The part that is easy to underestimate is the administration that comes with it.

Every stimulant is a Schedule 8 medicine, so prescribing brings state monitoring (SafeScript, QScript, ScriptCheckSA and the rest), a valid Schedule 8 permit, ongoing monitoring and physical checks, and, for the PBS subsidy, the authority step.

Doing PBS authorities is not new or unique to the reform. Plenty of GPs already do them at volume without any of this training. What the reform adds is more prescribers doing more of them. And regardless of how many you do, each Authority Required script still means the same step: log in to PRODA or call the Services Australia line, key in the details and wait for a code.

This is the quiet cost of the reform. Scope is expanding on purpose, to cut specialist wait times and bring care closer to home, but the authority admin behind the prescription was built for a smaller number of prescribers. We cover the growing PBS authority load, and where it is heading, in detail. It is worth setting up your process for it before the volume builds, rather than after.

How to get authorised

Training pathways run through the RACGP, with clinical guidance from the Australian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA). The specific course, and whether it leads to continuation or full prescribing, depends on your state. Start with your state health department's psychostimulant prescribing page and the RACGP's ADHD resources for the current requirements where you practise.

Frequently asked questions

Can a GP prescribe ADHD medication now?

GPs have been able to prescribe ADHD medication for some time, under shared care with a specialist and the relevant authority and Schedule 8 permit. What is changing is that select trained or fellowed GPs in some states can now diagnose ADHD and initiate treatment themselves, which previously sat with psychiatrists and paediatricians. Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia allow it for eligible GPs, while other states are at various stages of continuation and staged reform. Confirm your state's current position.

What is the difference between a continuation prescriber and an endorsed prescriber?

A continuation prescriber continues a specialist-started stimulant for a stable patient. An endorsed prescriber can diagnose and initiate after more comprehensive training.

Is a PBS authority script necessary for ADHD stimulants?

When specific criteria are met, these medicines can be prescribed on the PBS. That requires the GP to obtain an authority code, either online through the PBS Authorities system (accessed via PRODA) or by phone to Services Australia, so the patient receives the medicine at the subsidised PBS cost. Separately, the GP must also hold a valid Schedule 8 permit for the medication and carry out the relevant monitoring and physical checks for patients on these medicines.

Is ADHD diagnosis and initiation changing in my state?

Almost everywhere except the Northern Territory has announced or begun reform, at different stages and timelines. Check your state health department and the RACGP.

Sources

• RACGP, ADHD reform: expanding GP-led diagnosis and management: racgp.org.au
• AADPA, ADHD prescribing guide for general practice: aadpa.com.au
• NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, ADHD in general practice (clinician FAQs): aci.health.nsw.gov.au
• NSW Health, prescribe a psychostimulant medicine: health.nsw.gov.au
• Victorian Department of Health, ADHD care in general practice: health.vic.gov.au
• ACT Government, ADHD care in the ACT: act.gov.au
• Services Australia, apply for a PBS authority: servicesaustralia.gov.au
• Medical Republic, Health Ministers push GP ADHD prescribing rights (Jan 2026): medicalrepublic.com.au

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