Tasmania backs GPs to treat ADHD

Tasmania could soon become the latest state to expand GPs’ involvement in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
 
On Saturday, Premier Jeremy Rockliff announced the Liberal Party, if re-elected at next month’s State Election, will enable Tasmanian GPs to diagnose, treat and manage ADHD for children and adults in a bid to reduce waiting lists for paediatricians and psychiatrists.
 
‘This will be a game changer for Tasmanian families, slashing wait times for assessments, cutting medical costs, and ensuring lifelong ADHD care that’s easier to access and coordinate right across the state,’ he said.
 
‘We will work closely with GPs and the RACGP to ensure GPs have the training and supervision they need to support Tasmanians living with ADHD.’
 
Premier Rockliff also promised to change laws to allow interstate prescriptions to be dispensed in Tasmania, further supporting those with the disorder.
 
State Labor Leader Dean Winter has also backed the plan, saying ‘freeing up scope of practice reform like this is a good move’.
 
A report by the Australian ADHD Professionals Association shows, as of late 2024, 8.7% of Tasmanian children aged 6–12 years are prescribed ADHD medication, compared to 6.9% of the broader population.
 
With this in mind, RACGP Tasmania Chair Dr Toby Gardner described the announcement as ‘very welcome’.
 
‘The numbers in Tassie of those living with ADHD is slightly higher than the mainland. We have more social disadvantage, certainly in Tassie than the mainland states, and we’re essentially a big rural area,’ he told newsGP.
 
Dr Gardner said current waiting lists for children to see a paediatrician can stretch longer than 18 months, in both Tasmania’s public and private sector.
 
‘We have three private paediatricians who work with us, and I just got an email this morning saying they’ve actually closed the books to any new referrals, because their wait times for a standard appointment have now gone past 12 months,’ he said.
 
‘In the hospital sector, it’s even worse.’
 
For adults presenting with ADHD symptoms, the options are even more limited and costly, Dr Gardner said.
 
‘We don’t have any psychiatrists that work in this space on the ground, so it’s all telehealth psychiatry,’ he said.
 
‘They’re just hooking up with online providers who do the one-hour assessment and that can cost anywhere from $900 up to $1800.’
 
In a recent newsGP poll, 33% of national respondents said they are interested in prescribing ADHD medication.
 
Dr Gardner said while many Tasmanian GPs will not take the opportunity to upskill in ADHD treatment and diagnosis, it is about offering GPs choice.
 
‘It really just is a benefit for the patient, because it removes that financial barrier to getting the assessment,’ he said.
 
‘And, of course, we follow people through the lifespan as well, so we can provide that ongoing continuity of care.’
 
The Tasmanian Liberal’s ADHD reform promise is strongly backed by the RACGP, which seeks a uniform approach nationwide.
 
In Queensland, GPs have been managing children with ADHD for eight years, but this year most states have begun to follow suit.
 
The Western Australian Government is currently rolling out changes to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe stimulant medication.
 
Last month, the New South Wales Government announced similar changes that will go live next year, while last week, the South Australian Government revealed it too will grant GPs the authority to formally diagnose and manage ADHD from 2026.
 
Meanwhile, the ACT Government is being called on to honour its pre-election pledge made last year to broaden GPs’ scope of practice in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD.
 
The RACGP has also welcomed a Tasmanian Liberal Party election pledge to introduce a free meningococcal B vaccination program.
 
Dr Gardner said the RACGP has long lobbied for the vaccine’s inclusion on the free vaccination schedule.
 
‘This is something that we’d really like to call for bipartisan support for as well. It’s only been announced by the Liberal Party so far,’ he said.
 
The announcement comes as two cases of meningococcal B have been confirmed in Tasmania this year.
 
‘[Treating] those two cases cost more than the cost of vaccinating the whole eligible population in Tassie,’ Dr Gardner said.
 
‘You only have to prevent two cases to save money. So, it’s a smart investment, and one that will save lives.’
 
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