GPs to diagnose and prescribe for ADHD under ‘breakthrough’ plan

GPs will be able to diagnose and treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under a re-elected West Australian Labor Government, in a long-awaited step forward welcomed by the RACGP.
 
On Friday, WA Premier Roger Cook announced a ‘groundbreaking new pathway’ to enable GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe stimulant medication, reducing bottlenecks and barriers to patient care.
 
‘Under a re-elected Cook Labor Government, families will no longer require a specialist psychiatrist or paediatrician to diagnose and treat ADHD in children and adults,’ he said.
 
‘This will remove a major bureaucratic barrier which is a significant obstacle to treatment.
 
‘The commitment will pave the way for GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication by trialling specialist support for GPs while they expand their scope of practice.’
 
The RACGP hailed the move a ‘breakthrough for patients’, with Vice President and WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman saying it is ‘a welcome step forward’.
 
‘This proposal is the culmination of extensive discussions and work by GPs and the WA Government, but more importantly, calls from our patients for support to access potentially lifechanging treatment,’ she said.
 
‘Patients need ongoing support for complex conditions like ADHD. If implemented well, this initiative will be a big step forward for Western Australians.’
 
GPs have long been calling for changes to ADHD diagnosis and prescribing, left frustrated by national inconsistences and laws creating a ‘system that serves no one’.
 
This call has been backed by the Federal Government which gave its full support to the development of uniform and nationally consistent prescribing rules.
 
A recent newsGP poll found 34% of GPs believed ‘GP-led diagnostic pathways’ are the best approach to improving ADHD diagnosis and management, and 32% backed the idea of ‘funding to improve shared care models’.
 
Some 19% felt consistency is needed across the states and territories, while 13% agreed greater GP prescribing of stimulants would help.
 
Dr Raman also called on other states and territories to work towards a nationally consistent approach to managing ADHD in general practice.
 
‘Other governments and parties across our states and territories should be taking notes and talking to their GPs.’
 
Under the promised overhaul in WA, Labor has committed to work with the RACGP to ensure GPs have access to education resources and training programs to support their patients.
 
‘This is through diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, and by continuing to work with GPs, psychiatrists and paediatricians to ensure families have access to shared-care models for kids, young people and adults who require more complex care,’ the Cook Government announced.
 
‘GPs already prescribe various Schedule 8 medications with approval from the Department of Health, and these changes will see ADHD medication managed in the same way.
 
'This includes real-time monitoring of dispensing via ScriptCheckWA, which allows the Department to take action in relation to any concerning patterns of prescribing and dispensing.’
 
As part of the plan, $1.3 million will fund the addition of psychiatry for ADHD to the GP Ask trial – a recently-announced $8.2 million pilot program allowing non-GP specialists to advise GPs on their patients’ management and health issues via phone or secure message.
 
WA Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson described the changes as being long overdue.
 
‘WA’s regulations are some of the most restrictive and out of date and we know so much more about ADHD than we did 20 years ago,’ she said.
 
‘With the right training, GPs are well placed to diagnose and manage ADHD where there is diagnostic certainty, and this announcement will empower them to better support their patients.’
 
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ADHD attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children’s health prescribing