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The rules changed recently and are still changing. Who can start a treatment, who can continue one, and what it means for people living in a regional town rather than Sydney.
If you have ADHD in New South Wales, or you care for someone who does, the prescribing rules have probably affected you more than any clinical decision. For years the arrangement meant a long wait and a significant fee to see a psychiatrist or paediatrician, and then a return trip whenever a prescription needed renewing — which, from Muswellbrook, means a drive.
That has been changing in stages. Here is where things stand, in plain terms.
From 1 September 2025, GPs in New South Wales who have completed the required training and been approved have been able to continue prescribing ADHD medication that was originally started by a specialist. NSW Health reported that more than 800 GPs had been trained as continuation prescribers, and that in the first months over 5,000 patients had been prescribed through the new arrangement.
This applies to people with an established diagnosis who are stable on their treatment. In practice it means that if that describes you, the routine work of reviewing and renewing can potentially happen at your regular practice, rather than requiring an appointment with the specialist who started it.
The second stage goes further. From March 2026, GPs have been able to undertake training that allows them to assess, diagnose and start ADHD treatment in some situations without an initial specialist assessment.
Two things are worth understanding about this stage. First, it is training-based and the places are limited — this is not a blanket authority that every GP in the state now holds. Second, the training takes several months. The first cohort of around 300 GPs began it from March 2026 and the earliest completions are expected from late 2026, so the number of GPs able to diagnose is only beginning to grow. Do not assume any given practice holds it yet — ask.
NSW Health said it would prioritise GPs working in areas of greatest need, specifically including regional, rural and remote areas. For a town like Muswellbrook, that prioritisation is the point of the reform.
The honest answer is that it depends on the practice and the individual doctor, which is unsatisfying but accurate. The Minister's own advice when the second stage was announced was to speak to your regular GP and find out whether they will be providing this.
So that is the question worth asking, and it is a reasonable one to put to reception when you book:
At Muswellbrook Doctors, ADHD assessment is offered by Dr Zahraa Hussein. The scope of what can be prescribed here depends on current approvals under the NSW arrangements — ask reception when you book and you will get a straight answer rather than a guess.
It is worth saying clearly that none of this removes specialists from the picture. NSW Health was explicit that GPs continue to refer and escalate care where that is appropriate. Complex presentations, people who are not responding as expected, and situations where there is a lot going on alongside the ADHD are all reasons a specialist opinion remains the right call.
What has changed is that a specialist referral is no longer the only door in for everybody.
Rules in this area have moved several times in two years and may well move again. If you read this some time after the review date at the foot of the page, check the current position with us rather than assuming it still holds.
The change most people notice first is not the diagnosis. It is not having to drive to Newcastle to renew a script.
Continuation prescribing has been the quiet, practical half of the reform.General information only. This article is general health information for anyone who finds it useful. It is not advice about your own situation and it does not replace a consultation with a doctor who knows you. If you are worried about a symptom, book an appointment or call us on (02) 6530 7404. Last reviewed 5 August 2026.
If you already have an ADHD diagnosis and are travelling to Sydney or Newcastle just to renew a script, it is worth asking whether that is still necessary. Book an appointment and bring your current prescription and specialist letters.
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