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General practitioners in Victoria will be able to diagnose and treat ADHD for the first time under changes to be introduced by the Allan government this year.<\/p>\n
Premier Jacinta Allan will announce the changes on Tuesday, initially starting with 150 GPs who will receive accredited training by September at a cost to taxpayers of $750,000.<\/p>\n
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About 150 GPs will be able to diagnose ADHD under changes to be introduced by the Allan government.Matt Davidson<\/p>\n
In Victoria, diagnosis and management generally requires a specialist. For adults, a psychiatrist can diagnose ADHD and provide an initial prescription for stimulant medication, while children need to be diagnosed and prescribed medication by a paediatrician. <\/p>\n
The state government estimates average comprehensive assessment can cost more than $2000 in out-of-pocket expenses and includes waiting times of between six and 12 months.<\/p>\n
In a bid to reduce waiting times and make diagnosis more affordable, the new model will allow GPs to undertake training that expands the scope of their practice and permits them to diagnose, treat and prescribe ADHD medication.<\/p>\n
\u201cUndiagnosed or untreated ADHD can have a significant effect on a person\u2019s life \u2013 whether it\u2019s at school, work or in the home,\u201d Mental Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why these changes are so important, giving more Victorians a chance to thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n
The changes come after Queensland, NSW, South Australia and Western Australia announced similar plans last year.<\/p>\n
In May, NSW announced it would pay for GPs to undergo accredited training required for them to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication for it.<\/p>\n
In November, the Queensland government announced all fully qualified GPs would be able to diagnose ADHD in adults \u2013 the first and only state to open up the process without requiring further training. GPs in Queensland can already diagnose and treat children.<\/p>\n
Related Article ADHD diagnoses have become more common in Australia in recent years, with more than 800,000 people<\/a> diagnosed nationally. But according to the ADHD Foundation Australia, as many as 1 million people may be living with the disorder.<\/p>\n The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, which has advocated nationally for the diagnostic changes, estimates 163,000 children and 320,000 adults in Victoria may have ADHD. According to the Murdoch Institute, one in every 20 children has it.<\/p>\n People diagnosed in adulthood have long argued the current process is too complex and say that, with poor focus and difficulty finishing tasks being a common symptom, it acts as a barrier to those who need help.<\/p>\n However, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has previously warned that specialist involvement is crucial for ADHD care, arguing the complexity of the condition makes it a high-risk area for diagnosis.<\/p>\n President Dr Astha Tomar said any move to grant GPs expanded prescribing powers must be anchored by specialist training and oversight from expert psychiatrists.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce the treating psychiatrist has established a diagnosis and initiated treatment, particularly medication, a shared care model can often be implemented with GPs,\u201d she said last year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is to ensure people receive the right diagnosis, the right treatment, and the right support at all times.\u201d<\/p>\n Tomar said there were significant risks with potential misdiagnosis of the condition. Some clinicians have raised alarms that ADHD is being overdiagnosed and overmedicated, while a smaller group of doctors has even questioned the validity of the condition itself.<\/p>\n Related Article Professor Jon Jureidini, a child psychiatrist and spokesman for the Critical Psychiatry Network Australasia, argues the rush to label patients may overlook the true root of their distress.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an independent neurodevelopmental disorder that can be treated by specific medications \u2013 it does not exist,\u201d said Jureidini, who also heads the University of Adelaide\u2019s Critical and Ethical Mental Health research group.<\/p>\n The Allan government\u2019s changes will be introduced after a consultation process. Non-medical treatments, which will also be considered by GPs, can include behavioural therapy, psychology and education to manage treatment.<\/p>\n The government will also argue on Tuesday that the reforms will ease pressure on psychiatrists and paediatricians \u2013 specialist services with high demand.<\/p>\n Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme data released in 2024 showed the number of adults using ADHD medications rose by 450 per cent in the decade between 2012-13 and 2022-23.<\/p>\n Editor’s pick According to Associate Professor John Kramer, from the RACGP, prescription rates in Australia\u2019s most advantaged areas were more than double the rate in the most disadvantaged areas.<\/p>\n The college has called for nationally consistent rules around ADHD diagnosis and prescribing.<\/p>\n \u201cADHD doesn\u2019t change at the state or territory line, and the rules shouldn\u2019t either,\u201d president Dr Michael Wright has said.<\/p>\n The premier said: \u201cLabor is making healthcare work better for busy families by making ADHD care easier and cheaper to access.<\/p>\n \u201cNo child or family should be left behind because the system is too complex, too hard or too expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n![\"Mick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/4173f5dba913d2a8d6444a9a0261a86b5bcf3143.jpeg\")
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Daniella White<\/a> is a state political reporter for The Age. Contact her at da.white@nine.com.auConnect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"February 3, 2026 \u2014 6:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":454840,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[64,63,137,500],"class_list":["post-454839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/454840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}