ADHD Prescribing by State and Territory

Who can start, continue and approve ADHD stimulant medication in each Australian state and territory, sourced to the government page that sets the rule.

Checked against primary government sources on 8 September 2026.

Stimulant medicines for ADHD are Schedule 8 controlled substances, and the law that decides who may prescribe one is state and territory law. That is why two people on the same medicine, at the same dose, prescribed for the same reason, can face completely different steps depending on which side of a border they live on. Five jurisdictions changed their rules between September 2025 and February 2026, and two more have changes scheduled.

The comparison

Scroll the table sideways to see every jurisdiction, or open a jurisdiction for the detail behind its column.

ADHD stimulant prescribing rules by Australian jurisdiction, September 2026
Rule	NSW	VIC	QLD	WA	SA	TAS	ACT	NT
Specialists who can start	Yes Psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists	Yes Paediatricians under 18, psychiatrists any age	Yes Paediatricians, psychiatrists	Yes Approved specialists	Yes Paediatricians, psychiatrists, neurologists	With approval Specialists, with a section 59E authority	Yes Psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists	Yes Paediatricians, psychiatrists, physicians, neurologists
Can a GP start it	With training Endorsed prescribers only	No No	Yes Specialist GPs, adults only	Changing Training program under way	With training Specially trained GPs, ages 8 and up	With training Trained GPs can diagnose and initiate	Changing Stage 2, later in 2026	No No
Can a GP continue it	With training Continuation prescribers	With approval Permit, on specialist evidence	Yes Specialist GPs, adults only	Yes At the specialist's dose and form	With approval Authority beyond two months	With approval Untrained GPs, on a specialist report	With training Trained GPs, no specialist review	With approval After a specialist has started
Government approval	With approval Required, but often standing	With approval Permit required for most prescribers	With approval Only outside the authorised classes	Yes Notification, not per patient approval	With approval Ministerial authority past two months	With approval Section 59E authority for every patient	With approval Standing approval, or per patient	With approval CHO authorisation per patient
Nurse practitioners	No Not authorised	With approval Permit required	With approval Depends on the regulation	Yes Continuation only	With approval Same authority rule	With approval Can apply, on a specialist report	With approval Designated prescriber approval	With approval Same authorisation rule
Age rules	Yes Stage 1 covers ages 6 and over	Yes Exemptions split at 18	Yes GP pathway is 18 and over	Yes Not permitted under 2	Yes GP pathway starts at age 8	Yes TGA product information sets the range	Yes GP continuation from age 6, specialists from 4	Yes No published age threshold

What each row is asking

Specialists who can start: Which specialists can start ADHD medication without applying for approval first?
Can a GP start it: Can a GP diagnose ADHD and start medication?
Can a GP continue it: Can a GP keep prescribing once a specialist has started treatment?
Government approval: Does the prescriber need a permit or approval for each patient?
Nurse practitioners: Can a nurse practitioner prescribe ADHD stimulant medication?
Age rules: What age limits apply?

What changed, and what is scheduled

1 December 2025

Queensland. All specialist GPs authorised to initiate, modify and continue psychostimulants for adults with ADHD. Paediatricians extended to ages 18 to 24.
11 February 2026

Australian Capital Territory. Standing CHO Approvals commenced, removing per patient approval for trained GPs continuing treatment and for specialists prescribing within dose limits.
28 February 2026

South Australia. Specially trained SA GPs can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe for ADHD in children aged 8 and above and in adults, with no specialist referral required.
2 March 2026

Tasmania. Tasmania published the current section 59E guidance, including the GP training route to diagnose ADHD and initiate stimulants.
August 2026

Western Australia. 65 GPs expected to complete the WA ADHD training program, after which they can initiate stimulant medication for patients aged 10 and older.
Stage 2, timing not yet published

New South Wales. A smaller number of GPs in priority areas will be supported to diagnose ADHD and start medication.

Victoria and the Northern Territory are the two jurisdictions with no published change. Both still require a permit or authorisation routed through a specialist diagnosis, which makes them the slowest pathways in the country as at the date above.

Open a jurisdiction

New South Wales

NSW Health Pharmaceutical Services

Specialists prescribe under a standing class authority. GPs can now hold their own authority to continue treatment, and a small group can diagnose and start it.
Victoria

Victorian Department of Health, Medicines and Poisons Regulation

Victoria still runs on permits. Paediatricians and psychiatrists are exempt within their age bands, and a GP needs a permit that is only granted on the back of a specialist diagnosis and recent review.
Queensland

Queensland Health, Medicines and Poisons

Since 1 December 2025, specialist GPs can initiate, modify and continue stimulant medication for adults with ADHD, within existing maximum dose limits.
Western Australia

WA Department of Health

The first prescription must come from an approved specialist. A government funded training program is building a group of GPs who will be able to start medication for patients aged 10 and over.
South Australia

SA Health, Drugs of Dependence Unit

Since 28 February 2026, specially trained South Australian GPs can assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe for ADHD in children aged 8 and above and in adults, without a referral to a psychiatrist or paediatrician.
Tasmania

Tasmanian Department of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Branch

Every prescriber needs a section 59E authority for every patient, including specialists. What the 2026 rules changed is who can apply: GPs with specified training can now diagnose ADHD and start treatment.
Australian Capital Territory

ACT Health, Chief Health Officer

Standing Chief Health Officer Approvals replaced per patient approvals for trained GPs continuing treatment and for specialists prescribing within dose limits. A second stage will let trained GPs diagnose.
Northern Territory

NT Health, Medicines and Poisons Control

Chief Health Officer authorisation is required for each individual patient, and only a defined specialist list can make the decision to start treatment.

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Common questions

Which states let a GP diagnose ADHD?

Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. Queensland allows any specialist GP to initiate treatment for adults with no extra ADHD training required. South Australia and Tasmania require specified additional training, and South Australia's pathway also covers children from age 8. New South Wales allows it through a small endorsed prescriber group, and the ACT has said its stage 2 will allow it later in 2026.

Why are the rules different in every state?

Stimulant medicines are Schedule 8 controlled substances, and the law that controls who may prescribe a Schedule 8 medicine is state and territory law rather than federal law. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme that subsidises the medicine is national, which is why the cost is broadly similar everywhere while the pathway to a prescription is not.

My prescription was written in another state. Will a pharmacy fill it?

It depends where you are having it dispensed. New South Wales is the strictest on this point: a NSW pharmacist cannot dispense dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate unless the prescription carries a valid NSW Health approval number, whichever state it was written in. Tasmania requires an authority for a Tasmanian patient regardless of where the prescriber practises.

How current is this table?

Every row carries the date the source page was read and, where the source publishes one, the date the source itself says it was last updated. Both are shown on each state page under Sources. These rules moved in five jurisdictions between September 2025 and February 2026, so check the linked government page before acting on anything here.