ADHD prescribing rules in Tasmania

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.

Tasmania is the clearest example of why an authority requirement and a restrictive pathway are two different things. Every prescriber applies for every patient, and yet trained GPs can diagnose ADHD and start treatment, which Victoria does not allow at all.

Who grants approval: Tasmanian Department of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Branch
Governing law: Poisons Act 1971
Prescription monitoring: TasScript

The rules at a glance

ADHD stimulant prescribing in Tasmania, as published by Tasmanian Department of Health, Pharmaceutical Services Branch
Rule	Position	Detail
Specialists who can start	With approval Specialists, with a section 59E authority	Section 59E applications are accepted from psychiatrists, paediatricians, sleep physicians, neurologists, and GPs who have completed additional training to diagnose ADHD. Even a specialist obtains an authority before issuing the prescription.
Can a GP start it	With training Trained GPs can diagnose and initiate	Tasmanian GPs must complete specified additional clinical training to be considered appropriately trained to diagnose ADHD and initiate treatment with Schedule 8 psychostimulants.
Can a GP continue it	With approval Untrained GPs, on a specialist report	GPs without additional ADHD training, and nurse practitioners, may apply to be authorised where assessment and diagnosis was conducted by a relevant trained practitioner, with a comprehensive clinical report covering diagnosis, management plan and recommended regimen.
Government approval	With approval Section 59E authority for every patient	Under regulation 24 of the Poisons Regulations 2018 a prescriber must obtain an authority from the Secretary before issuing a prescription for a Schedule 8 psychostimulant, and that applies regardless of where the prescriber practises.
Nurse practitioners	With approval Can apply, on a specialist report	Tasmania names nurse practitioners alongside untrained GPs as able to apply for an authority where a relevant practitioner has made the diagnosis.
Age rules	Yes TGA product information sets the range	Treatment is expected to sit within the age parameters of the TGA approved product information. An application outside that range needs a detailed clinical rationale from the relevant specialist.

Changed: 2 March 2026. Tasmania published the current section 59E guidance, including the GP training route to diagnose ADHD and initiate stimulants.

The section 59E authority

Tasmania regulates ADHD stimulants under Part VA of the Poisons Act 1971. Under regulation 24 of the Poisons Regulations 2018 a prescriber is required to seek and obtain an authority from the Secretary of the Department of Health before issuing a prescription for a Schedule 8 psychostimulant for a patient. A prescriber writing for a Tasmanian patient needs that authority regardless of where they practise.

Applications go through the Health Practitioner Portal of TasScript, or on a form emailed to the Pharmaceutical Services Branch. A delegate of the Secretary assesses the application, may seek advice from relevant specialists, and may ask for further information such as a urine drug screen result, sleep study results or a second opinion. Applications can be approved, approved with conditions, or refused, and a refusal or a condition can be reviewed by a delegate who was not involved in the original decision.

Authorities are generally issued for a maximum of 36 months, and an authority for a child may run until the child turns 18. An authority covers the named practitioner and any colleague working within the same medical practice, which is how a practice covers absences without a fresh application.

The GP training route

Tasmanian GPs are required to undertake additional clinical training to be considered appropriately trained to diagnose ADHD and initiate treatment with Schedule 8 psychostimulants. The requirement is an online learning component plus a workshop: either the two RACGP gplearning modules, Identification and management of ADHD and The pharmacological management of ADHD, or the ACRRM module ADHD Assessment and Management for Rural Generalists, together with the six hour Tasmanian GP training for ADHD workshop.

Tasmania also recognises training done elsewhere. A GP who is trained in their own practising jurisdiction to diagnose ADHD is considered appropriately trained to diagnose and initiate treatment for Tasmanian patients, which matters for telehealth care delivered from the mainland.

Continuation and urgent cases

GPs without additional ADHD training, and nurse practitioners, may apply to be authorised where the assessment and diagnosis was conducted by a relevant practitioner, with a comprehensive clinical report including the diagnosis, management plan and recommended treatment regimen. Renewal applications from a GP or nurse practitioner for continuation of care do not routinely require supporting specialist documentation unless complex matters arise.

In urgent or exceptional circumstances a practitioner can telephone the Pharmaceutical Services Branch for verbal authorisation for short term prescribing. The department gives two examples: a change of treating prescriber where an appointment cannot be secured, and an urgent need to vary the authorised regimen when the usual medicine is unavailable because of a stock shortage.

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Common questions about prescribing in TAS

Can a GP diagnose ADHD in Tasmania?

Yes, if that GP has completed the specified training: the RACGP or ACRRM online modules plus the six hour Tasmanian GP ADHD workshop. A GP trained to diagnose ADHD in another Australian jurisdiction is also recognised for Tasmanian patients.

Does my specialist need an authority too?

Yes. Tasmania requires an authority from the Secretary for every patient before a Schedule 8 psychostimulant prescription is issued, and that applies to psychiatrists and paediatricians as much as to GPs.

How long does a Tasmanian authority last?

Generally up to 36 months, and it can be shorter at the delegate's discretion. An authority issued for a child may run until the child turns 18.

Sources

Tasmanian Department of Health: Seeking authorisation to prescribe S8 psychostimulants in Tasmania Read 8 September 2026. Source states last updated 29 May 2026.

Compare with other jurisdictions

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

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.