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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-08-21 Daily Xml
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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Ms PRATT (Frome) (14:42): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. What steps will the government take to immediately commence additional training for GPs to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Ms PRATT: Given today's reports of a national shortage in Ritalin supplies, and federal government reforms to NDIS eligibility, families can't afford to wait until next year for doctors to start their training.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:42): I thank the shadow minister for her question. This is something where the government has been on the front foot in saying that we are taking action in relation to GP prescribing for ADHD, and I am really proud that we are doing so. We will be allowing GPs to prescribe ADHD medication in South Australia and I think we will be equal in leading the country in terms of doing so. In terms of NDIS, I am not entirely sure of the relevance there, given that I am not entirely sure that ADHD is a coverage under the NDIS.

We are working with the College of General Practitioners, the College of Physicians and the College of Psychiatrists to put in place the training program to enable us to have this up and operational as soon as possible. My update most recently through the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Mike Cusack, is that that work has been going exceptionally well. It is something I am taking a strong interest in, and I think the government is very proud of our rollout of this.

We will make sure that happens as soon as possible, but of course we don't want it to be rushed, either. I am sure the opposition would agree that we need to make sure that all the provisions are in place. This has been something which I think was only announced about six or eight weeks ago, so we have been going very rapidly in terms of getting this program up and running to help as many people as possible.

In relation to the medication shortage, obviously that is managed by the federal government and the TGA. That is a concern in terms of nationwide and, I think, worldwide shortages in relation to this area. The advice from the TGA, the federal government, is for people to speak to their doctor in terms of what other medications are available. I raised this a few months ago with Minister Butler, and we encouraged for some availability of other medications to be emergency-brought onto the PBS. I understand that has happened, so there's been federal changes that have enabled other medications to be available, as opposed to what previously was the case, but of course we would like to see those medication shortages resolved as soon as possible.

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