GP Continuation Prescribers

This is a GP who has undergone an endorsed training program specified by the NSW Ministry of Health to obtain a General Authority Number; this number provides them the authority to continue prescribing psychostimulant medication for patients aged  6 years and older who have a diagnosis of ADHD.  

You will be suitable for this service if you meet the following criteria; 

• You are 16 years or older (we do not provide this service for under 16s) 

• You have an existing ADHD diagnosis from a non-GP specialist (Psychiatrist, Paediatrician, Neurologist) in Australia (diagnoses from overseas specialists or GP specialists outside NSW are not eligible) 

• You are stable on your medication type and dose i.e. maintained the same dose for an appropriate period, with controlled symptoms and no significant side effects. 

Up until June 2026 the only doctors who can diagnose and treat for ADHD have been Psychiatrists, Paediatricians and Neurologists.

To provide the most appropriate care for your situation, we require confirmation from your specialist that they are happy for you to be managed under the GP Continuation Prescriber arrangement. This can occur in the following ways; 

• Patient provides letter from non-GP specialist confirming the diagnosis, prescribed medication, and confirmation that the patient is suitable for ongoing GP Continued Prescribing (please start this process 2-4 weeks in advance of your appointment)  

• If there are difficulties in obtaining this, please let us know so we contact your non-GP specialist on your behalf  

 The GP may decide to wait for this confirmation prior to initiating psychostimulant medications, but every effort will be made to obtain this as quickly as possible. 

• Bloods or ECG reports within the last 6 months 

• Relevant medical or psychological health information  

• Reduction of specialists' access to timely appointments and, in some cases, mitigating costs

• Regular reviews of your ADHD management, including medication effectiveness and side effects 

• Coordinating your ADHD management alongside your other health conditions  

• Primary Care led medical care that is Holistic, GPs connect the dots with all aspects of health, not just your mental health

No. Continuation prescribers must only issue prescriptions under the general authority to patients with whom there is a therapeutic relationship, according to at least one of the following criteria:  

• The continuation prescriber has a formalised ongoing relationship with the patient through registration with My Medicare 

• The continuation prescriber has provided the majority of general practitioner services to the person in the past 12 months or is likely to provide the majority of services to the person in the following 12 months.  

• The continuation prescriber is located at a medical practice that has provided the majority of services to the person in the past 12 months or is likely to provide the majority of services to the person in the next 12 months.  

• The continuation prescriber provides the majority of general practitioner services within a specialty area (i.e. neurodiversity, child health, mental health, women’s health) and:  

• has had an initial face-to-face consultation with the patient  

• has a face-to-face review with the patient every 12 months at a minimum 

• communicates/shares information with the patient’s usual general practitioner regularly or as required 

• It is important that you have an in-person review every 6 months. This will include an assessment of your medication, blood pressure, heart rate and BMI 

• To ensure safe prescribing, you may be asked to have 6-12 monthly bloods +/- ECG, depending as clinically indicated  

• To comply with the conditions or general authority, you may also be asked to have a Urine Drug Screen. 

• Regular review of your SafeScript NSW record is a condition of general authority prescribing, and we will obtain your consent for this to be checked with each prescription renewal appointment. SafeScript NSW must be checked for evidence of alerts, approvals, or other issues related to the prescribing or supply of high-risk monitored medicines. 

No. If a person is moving to or travelling in NSW and wants to continue psychostimulant medicines, they must first see either an AHPRA-registered paediatrician, psychiatrist, neurologist or other designated prescriber (ODP). 

No. Being diagnosed by a GP in another State (such as QLD) where this is enabled does not mean they can continue receiving psychostimulant medicines through a continuation prescriber in NSW. They must first see either a paediatrician, psychiatrist, neurologist or ODP. 

Continuation prescribers may not use their general authority number in the following circumstances:  

• The daily dose prescribed is greater than 50 mg dexamfetamine, 70 mg lisdexamfetamine, 108 mg methylphenidate, or  

• The person is under 6 years of age, or 

• The person is a drug-dependent person. 

In some cases, GPs may also participate in a “co-management” arrangement, where your GP provides regular management of your condition along with continued involvement from a psychiatrist, paediatrician or neurologist (non-GP specialist). Your GP may consider that an ongoing shared care arrangement with your non-GP specialist review is best in your situation, just as they do for other mental and physical health issues e.g. if there has been recent medication changes, or for patients with complex issues requiring regular ongoing specialist input. This does not mean that you will never be able to have GP Continued Prescribing in the future once your specialist deems it suitable 

With the GP Continuation Prescriber pathway, your GP is your primary prescriber and only needs to consult with your specialist again if problems arise. GPs can also issue prescriptions for psychostimulant medicines to patients under a co-management care arrangement in conjunction with their relevant specialist. In some cases, it will be beneficial for patients to remain under a co-management agreement with their non-GP specialist e.g. if there have been recent medication changes, or for complex patients requiring regular specialist input. In future you may be suitable to change over to the GP Continued Prescribing arrangement.  

GPs previously had to apply for an individual authority number for each patient seeking a GP Continuation Prescriber. Now GPs can use the same General Authority number for multiple patients.  

Prescriptions for psychostimulant medicines from a GP will be valid for up to six (6) months from the date of prescription, regardless of how many repeats are left, which is the same as prescriptions for psychostimulant medicines from non-GP specialist doctors.  It is important that you schedule your medication renewal appointment in advance to avoid delays in receiving your prescriptions.  

• Methylphenidate (Ritalin SA, Ritalin LA, Concerta) - minor dose adjustments and switching between short and long-acting is allowed. Continuation prescribers may increase the dose of methylphenidate to a maximum of 108 mg per day, as clinically required and tolerated. Prescribing or supplying doses above a total of 108 mg per day of methylphenidate requires input from a psychiatrist or paediatrician, and prior individual patient approval from the NSW Ministry of Health. 

• Dexamfetamine: only minor dose adjustments to a maximum of 50 mg per day, as required and tolerated. Prescribing or supplying doses above 50 mg per day of dexamfetamine requires input from a psychiatrist or paediatrician, and prior individual patient approval from the NSW Ministry of Health. GPs are not allowed to switch to Lisdexamfetamine or Methylphenidate  

• Lisdexamfetamine: only minor dose adjustments. Continuation prescribers may increase the dose of lisdexamfetamine to a maximum of 70 mg per day, as required and tolerated. Prescribing or supplying doses above 70 mg per day of lisdexamfetamine requires input from a psychiatrist or paediatrician, and prior individual patient approval from the NSW Ministry of Health. GPs are not allowed to switch to Dextroamphetamine or Methylphenidate 

Patients will require an appointment with their non-GP specialist for review to action medication changes they are unable to do.

If a patient has taken a break from psychostimulant medications, they may be required to see their treating specialist for re-initiation of treatment, especially if this has been for a prolonged period.  

Another GP or GP registrar in the same general practice may take over prescribing psychostimulant medicines for you whilst your regular GP is on leave. If the GP does not have authority as a continuation prescriber, they will need to apply for an individual patient approval to prescribe psychostimulant medicines for you, which is usually approved within 72 hours so please ensure you have booked your appointment in advance to avoid delays in receiving your prescriptions. No formal arrangement will be required for this application to be approved. 

There is currently no requirement for NSW Health approval to initiate or continue prescribing or supplying non-stimulant medicines used in the treatment of ADHD (e.g. guanfacine, atomoxetine, clonidine), so GPs are able to initiate and continue prescribing these.

The appointments range from 45-60 minutes with associated rebates

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