ADHD prescribing rules in Victoria

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.

Victoria is now the most restrictive of the mainland states for ADHD prescribing, because it has not opened a GP diagnosis or continuation pathway of the kind New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT have all introduced since September 2025.

Who grants approval: Victorian Department of Health, Medicines and Poisons Regulation
Governing law: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981
Prescription monitoring: SafeScript

The rules at a glance

ADHD stimulant prescribing in Victoria, as published by Victorian Department of Health, Medicines and Poisons Regulation
Rule	Position	Detail
Specialists who can start	Yes Paediatricians under 18, psychiatrists any age	For a patient under 18 with ADHD, both paediatricians and psychiatrists are exempt from the permit requirement. For a patient aged 18 or over, only psychiatrists are exempt. Both exemptions depend on the patient not being a drug dependent person.
Can a GP start it	No No	The permit conditions require evidence of a specialist diagnosis, so there is no pathway for a Victorian GP to diagnose ADHD and start stimulant treatment on their own.
Can a GP continue it	With approval Permit, on specialist evidence	A GP will generally only be issued a permit for ADHD where there is evidence of a specialist diagnosis and that a specialist review has taken place within a specified period.
Government approval	With approval Permit required for most prescribers	Most medical practitioners must obtain a permit before prescribing amphetamine, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylamphetamine or methylphenidate.
Nurse practitioners	With approval Permit required	Victoria's exemptions from the permit requirement are written for paediatricians and psychiatrists, so any other prescriber works under the general permit rule.
Age rules	Yes Exemptions split at 18	The age of the patient decides which specialist is exempt: paediatricians for under 18, psychiatrists at any age.

Who needs a permit

The Victorian Department of Health states that most medical practitioners must obtain a permit before prescribing amphetamine, dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine, methylamphetamine or methylphenidate. The exemptions are narrow and are defined by the combination of the prescriber's specialty and the patient's age.

For ADHD in a patient under 18, both paediatricians and psychiatrists may prescribe without a permit. For ADHD in a patient aged 18 or over, only psychiatrists may. In both cases the exemption applies only where the patient is not a drug dependent person.

How a GP gets a permit

For ADHD, the department states that general practitioners will generally only be issued with permits where there is evidence of a specialist diagnosis and that a specialist review has taken place within a specified period. That is a continuation arrangement rather than an independent prescribing right, and it is the practical reason Victorian patients are more often sent back to a specialist for review than patients in states that have opened a GP pathway.

The rule for narcolepsy is looser. A GP will generally not be granted an initial permit unless the physician or specialist has been consulted and endorses the treatment, but after the initial diagnosis ongoing GP management is typically permitted without further specialist referral where there are no safety concerns.

When no permit is needed

A permit is not required for prescribing in prisons, in residential aged care facilities, or for hospital inpatients. It is also not required where one practitioner at a multi-practitioner clinic already holds a valid permit covering that patient's treatment, which is how a practice covers a colleague's patients during leave.

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Common questions about prescribing in VIC

Can a GP prescribe ADHD medication in Victoria?

Only with a permit, and a GP will generally only be issued one where there is evidence of a specialist diagnosis and a specialist review within a specified period. A Victorian GP cannot diagnose ADHD and start stimulant medication on their own.

Why does my Victorian paediatrician stop prescribing when I turn 18?

Because the permit exemption is written by age. A paediatrician is exempt from the permit requirement for ADHD in a patient under 18. From 18, only a psychiatrist holds that exemption, so treatment usually transfers at that point.

Is Victoria changing its rules like other states?

As at the date this page was last checked, the Victorian Department of Health page on stimulant permit requirements still describes the permit system above, with no GP diagnosis or continuation pathway published. The source link is the fastest way to see a change once one lands.

Sources

Victorian Department of Health: Stimulants for ADHD or narcolepsy, permit requirements Read 8 September 2026. Source states last updated 7 September 2026.
Victorian legislation: Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 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 Melbourne 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.