Cook Labor Government to reduce barriers to ADHD care

• Groundbreaking new pathway to allow GPs to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD
• WA Labor commitment to save families thousands of dollars and slash wait times
• Changes backed by investment in important community support programs

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will make it cheaper and easier for families to access Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) care without needing to go to a psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Announced today, the commitment will pave the way for General Practitioners (GPs) to diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication by trialling specialist support for GPs while they expand their scope of practice.

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. This will remove a major bureaucratic barrier which is a significant obstacle to treatment.

Around one in 10 children and adolescents and at least five per cent of adults are estimated to have ADHD, however, diagnosis under the current system can cost families thousands of dollars and take several years.

The changes will reduce costly, unnecessary hurdles to treatment, ease bottlenecks, and ensure GPs have specialist support for their patients when they need it.

The commitment will also deliver benefits in the classroom, with more students able to get the treatment and support they need to excel at school, while reducing disruption for their classmates.

In addition, WA Labor has pledged $1.2 million to ADHDWA for vital support, information, and wraparound services for children and adolescents with ADHD, as well as their parents and carers.

A further $1.3 million will fund the addition of psychiatry for ADHD to the ‘GP Ask’ trial.

The announcement builds on the Cook Labor Government’s work to reduce barriers to ADHD treatment, with interstate prescriptions now allowed to be dispensed in WA and changes which make it easier for adults to access their medication through GP co-prescribing.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will continue working with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) to ensure GPs have access to education resources and training programs so they can 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.

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.

Comments attributed to Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:

“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."

"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."

“The Cook Labor Government is doing what’s right for WA, by reducing bottlenecks and delivering timely treatment for ADHD.”