ADHD prescribing rules in New South Wales

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.

Every prescription for dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate dispensed in New South Wales has to carry a NSW Health approval number. What differs between prescribers is how that number is obtained: some hold a standing authority, others apply patient by patient.

Who grants approval: NSW Health Pharmaceutical Services
Governing law: Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966
Prescription monitoring: SafeScript NSW

The rules at a glance

ADHD stimulant prescribing in New South Wales, as published by NSW Health Pharmaceutical Services
Rule	Position	Detail
Specialists who can start	Yes Psychiatrists, paediatricians, neurologists	These three specialties hold a class authority (approval number CA2023) to prescribe for ADHD in a person who is not drug dependent, so in most cases they do not apply for approval for an individual patient.
Can a GP start it	With training Endorsed prescribers only	A small number of GP continuation prescribers who hold additional specific and accredited training, described by NSW Health as endorsed prescribers, can diagnose ADHD and initiate medicines where appropriate.
Can a GP continue it	With training Continuation prescribers	GPs can apply for a general authority as a continuation prescriber, which carries its own approval number and removes the need to apply patient by patient.
Government approval	With approval Required, but often standing	Approval from NSW Health is required to prescribe or supply these medicines, and a NSW pharmacist cannot dispense without a valid approval number, whichever state the prescription was written in.
Nurse practitioners	No Not authorised	NSW Health states that nurse practitioners are not authorised under the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods legislation to supply or prescribe psychostimulant medicines.
Age rules	Yes Stage 1 covers ages 6 and over	The first stage of the reforms covers people aged 6 years and older who already have a diagnosis and are stable on their medication.

Scheduled: Stage 2, timing not yet published. A smaller number of GPs in priority areas will be supported to diagnose ADHD and start medication.

The specialist class authority

Psychiatrists, paediatricians and neurologists are authorised under a class authority to prescribe or supply psychostimulant medicine for ADHD in a person who is not drug dependent. The class authority carries a fixed approval number, CA2023, and covers daily doses up to dexamfetamine 50mg, lisdexamfetamine 70mg or methylphenidate 108mg.

Those specialists still have to apply for individual patient approval in three situations: a drug dependent patient, an indication other than ADHD, or a daily dose above those limits. A psychiatrist, paediatrician or neurologist practising outside New South Wales can use the class authority for a patient whose medicine is dispensed by a NSW pharmacy.

The two GP pathways

NSW Health now issues GPs their own general authority rather than approving them one patient at a time. A continuation prescriber holds an authority to keep prescribing for people already established on treatment, and applications for that authority are open. An endorsed prescriber is a continuation prescriber who has completed additional specific and accredited training, and can diagnose ADHD and initiate medicines where appropriate.

The two authorities are visible on the prescription itself. A continuation prescriber's approval number begins with GACP and an endorsed prescriber's with GAEP, which is a practical way to tell which pathway your prescriber is working under.

The older other designated prescriber endorsement, which allowed advanced trainees and GPs in rural or remote areas to initiate treatment where criteria were met, is being retired. NSW Health states it will no longer issue those endorsements now that the endorsed prescriber pathway exists.

Everyone else

All other specialists, including respiratory and sleep physicians, palliative care physicians and rehabilitation physicians, must apply for individual patient approval. So must any other registered medical practitioner, including advanced trainees in relevant specialties, and NSW Health states those applications will in most cases only be approved where the applicant is in a co-management or transfer of care arrangement with a relevant specialist.

Applications can be submitted through SafeScript NSW, which in many cases returns a decision in real time and tells the prescriber immediately whether approval is required, whether it was granted automatically, or whether NSW Health needs to review it.

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Common questions about prescribing in NSW

Can my GP write my ADHD prescription in NSW?

Yes, if that GP holds a continuation prescriber authority from NSW Health. That authority covers people who already have a diagnosis and are stable on their medication. A GP without it can still prescribe, but has to apply to NSW Health for approval for you specifically, and those applications are usually only granted where the GP is sharing your care with a specialist.

Can a GP diagnose ADHD in NSW?

Only an endorsed prescriber can. That is a continuation prescriber who has completed additional accredited training, and NSW Health describes it as a small number of GPs. Everyone else still needs a psychiatrist, paediatrician or neurologist to make the diagnosis.

My specialist is interstate. Will a NSW pharmacy fill the script?

A NSW pharmacist cannot dispense dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate unless the prescription carries a valid NSW Health approval number, and that applies no matter which state or territory the prescription was written in. Psychiatrists, paediatricians and neurologists practising outside NSW can use the class authority for this purpose.

Sources

NSW Health: Prescribe a psychostimulant medicine Read 8 September 2026. Source states last updated 6 May 2026.
NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation: ADHD care in general practice Read 8 September 2026.

Compare with other jurisdictions

See all eight jurisdictions side by side, or open one directly.

Looking for assessment cost and wait times rather than prescribing rules? See the Sydney pathway page.

ADHD Pathways Australia is an independent, editorially-run information resource. It is not a clinic and does not diagnose, treat or provide medical advice. Content here is general information only, sourced and cited where a figure is stated, and is not a substitute for a formal assessment by a registered psychologist, psychiatrist or paediatrician. Always seek individual advice from a qualified professional about your own situation.