Can GPs Prescribe ADHD Medication in New Zealand? What the New Rules Mean for Adults
- Dr Louise Cowpertwait
- Jan 6
- 9 min read
Updated: Mar 7
This article provides general information, not medical or legal advice. It reflects information we are privvy to as clinicians and advocates working nationally in ADHD care and will be updated as the situation evolves. If you have any updates, please contact us. Last updated 06 March 2026.
You can also read this recent article in The Post, which features the author: https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360938109/families-warned-not-expect-quick-fixes-adhd-prescribing-rules-change
If you are an adult in New Zealand who suspects ADHD, or supporting someone who does, you’ve likely encountered long waitlists, high costs, and limited access to care. Regulatory changes came into effect on 1 February 2026, allowing GPs and Nurse Practitioners to prescribe ADHD medication without a psychiatrist needing to do this first.
Before you book a GP appointment expecting a diagnosis and prescription on the spot, it is important to understand what these changes do and do not mean. There is a lot of incomplete or misleading information circulating, and the reality is more nuanced. This guide brings everything together in one place: What's changing, what you can realistically expect, and answers to the questions we are hearing most often.
In a nutshell
Regulations changed on 1 February 2026, so GPs and mental health Nurse Practitioners can now apply for a special authority to prescribe ADHD medication to an adult, without a psychiatrist initiating this first.
What this helps
This change is a positive step forward.
Access should improve, as more healthcare providers can prescribe ADHD medication. This may start to ease pressure on specialist psychiatrists and reduce bottlenecks.
Costs will reduce for some people. While initial ADHD medical consults will still require longer appointments than a standard GP visit, options are already emerging that are more affordable than psychiatrist-led pathways.
Psychiatrists are more able to focus on medically complex scenarios, such as people with co-existing mental health or physical health challenges, which can make ADHD care more complex.
What this does not fix
This change has not made ADHD care simple or quick.
ADHD remains a specialist area, and not all GPs or Nurse Practitioners have chosen (or will choose) to specialise. It is important to ask clinics directly whether they provide the service you want before booking an appointment.
Most GPs are also already time-poor. The diagnostic workup is the most time-intensive component of ADHD care, and requires particular expertise to distinguish ADHD from other diagnoses, such as mental health conditions, trauma, neurological conditions such as brain injury, and autism. For this reason, even primary care providers who are willing to prescribe may still request a specialist diagnostic assessment first.
Medication support for adult ADHD may be available in some GP clinics, but people with potential complexities may still be asked (or prefer) to see a psychiatrist.
Medication shortages remain. National shortages of ADHD medications are unrelated to these prescribing changes and may continue to affect access.
What Are the New Rules?
Since 1 February 2026, GPs and mental health Nurse Practitioners have been able to prescribe stimulant medications like methylphenidate (e.g., Ritalin, Concerta), dexamfetamine, and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) to ADHD adults without requiring a psychiatrist to initiate treatment first [1,2].
This change aimed to improve access to adult ADHD care and was welcomed by advocacy organisations, including ADHD New Zealand, as well as specialist providers like MindMatters Clinic [3].
These clinicians typically work in primary care settings, such as local GP practices or online GP services. Standalone primary care ADHD-focused clinics are also expected to emerge over the coming months.
What about Diagnosis?
There were no changes to the formal requirements for diagnosing ADHD.
Diagnosis itself is not a regulated activity in New Zealand. Anyone can technically offer diagnosis. A registered health professional offering ADHD diagnosis must be practising within the rules of their professional body, but there's no overarching legislation related to diagnosing ADHD in New Zealand. This means the quality of ADHD diagnostic assessments can vary considerably, and there is currently no central monitoring or quality assurance for the public.
Usually, adult ADHD diagnosis is completed by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, but some GPs and Nurse Practitioners also diagnose ADHD. As more start to specialise in ADHD, it is expected that the number of GPs and Nurse Practitioners offering ADHD diagnosis will grow.
As demand increases, we are also seeing pressure for faster and lower-cost assessment options. While improved access is important, it also creates a risk that some services may offer assessments that do not meet best practice standards.
Last year, the Ministry of Health released a Clinical Principles Framework for ADHD. In this, they clearly lay out that an adult ADHD diagnosis should be a comprehensive process. This includes an in-depth clinical interview that typically takes at least one to two hours, validated rating scales, developmental history, screening for co-occurring conditions, and careful differential diagnosis by an experienced clinician.
This work cannot be done safely in a brief appointment. Short or low-cost assessments should prompt questions about how thoroughly the diagnostic process is being conducted.
If you are seeking an ADHD assessment, it is reasonable to check that it is being completed by a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, GP, or Nurse Practitioner, and to ask about their specific training and experience in ADHD and mental health diagnosis.
Why was this change made?
Expanding prescribing authority increases the pool of clinicians who can support treatment and helps relieve pressure on specialist services.
Demand for adult ADHD care has increased significantly as awareness has grown. Many adults are only now recognising lifelong ADHD traits and seeking support.
Until this change took effect, medication prescribing for ADHD required psychiatrist involvement. Given New Zealand has a limited number of psychiatrists (755 last time we checked [4], and very few specialising in adult ADHD) this created a major bottleneck.
Do these changes apply to all GPs and Nurse Practitioners?
In principle, yes. In practice, only those with "specialist training" are expected to provide ADHD care.
Both the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists agree that ADHD prescribing requires specialist knowledge. This is similar to how some GPs develop special interests in areas such as skin cancer or travel medicine (sometimes referred to as "GPSIs" - General Practitioner with Special Interest).
What training will GPs and Nurse Practitioners have? Do I have any cause for concern?
Currently, there are no nationally mandated or clearly defined training pathways for GPs or mental health Nurse Practitioners who wish to prescribe for adult ADHD.
There are no plans to monitor if GPs or Nurse Practitioners have completed adequate training or are consistently adhering to the Ministry of Health's Clinical Principles Framework [5].
Professional bodies do not appear fully aligned: In November 2025, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists released a statement calling for mandatory accredited training and ongoing professional development and stressed the need for only highly trained clinicians to diagnose ADHD [6]. In contrast, the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners ran a brief webinar series where only an hour was dedicated to "advanced diagnostic skills" for ADHD.
Overall, in practice this means service quality is likely to vary. Many GPs and Nurse Practitioners will prescribe only when a specialist assessment has already been completed, and are likely to defer to more specialist services in complex situations. In the absence of clear national guidance, however, some variable-quality services are already emerging.
What this means in practical terms is that someone seeking ADHD care should not assume every GP or Nurse Practitioner will be trained or able to provide diagnosis or medication. Expect to ask questions, take time choosing the right pathway, and be cautious of any service suggesting ADHD diagnosis or medication can be done quickly or without a comprehensive process.
Can I see my GP for an ADHD diagnosis?
Possibly, but you should ask first, and consider whether you need a more specialist assessment.
The changes have nothing to do with diagnosis, but more GPs and Nurse Practitioners are expected to offer diagnosis as they start to specialise in ADHD.
We are aware of some GPs undergoing assessment training with local clinical psychologists or practicing under the supervision of a specialist psychiatrist. However, we expect many GPs to prefer a specialist diagnostic assessment from elsewhere before prescribing.
The recently released Ministry of Health guidelines confirm that a proper diagnostic assessment should be comprehensive, including:
an in-depth clinical interview (at least 1-2 hours)
validated psychometric questionnaires
multiple informants
a full developmental history
screening for co-occurring conditions
all delivered by clinicians experienced in differential diagnosis, including mental health.
This aligns with international best practice standards [7, 8] but requires significant time commitment and specialist skill. Most primary care settings will be unable to offer this.
In addition, presentations involving mental or physical health complexity, or other neurodevelopmental differences, are likely to require more specialist input. Autism co-occurs in up to 80% of people who are ADHD [9, 10], and this is not something primary care services can assess for as part of ADHD care.
How do I find a GP or Nurse Practitioner who offers this service?
You must contact individual clinics to ask. This will probably involve many phone calls or emails to GP practices, and unclear answers as local practices are still setting things up.
We do not currently have a directory or list of GP or Nurse Practitioner providers offering ADHD care that we can share.
Currently MindMatters Clinic can only connect adults who have received a diagnostic assessment from our clinic to our partner psychiatrists. We don't have GP or Nurse Practioner providers yet. We are in the process of building stronger relationships with primary care providers, and would love to hear from any GP clinics interested in partnering with us.
If I get a specialist assessment by a clinical psychologist, can I skip seeing a psychiatrist and go straight to my GP?
Yes, but only if your GP or Nurse Practitioner offers ADHD prescribing and is comfortable managing your care. People with complex mental or physical health histories may still be advised to see a psychiatrist.
Is it cheaper to see a GP than a psychiatrist?
Probably, but it will not be low-cost.
ADHD consultations will usually require longer appointments than standard GP visits. While GP fees are typically lower than psychiatrist fees, these are still extended, specialist consultations and should be priced accordingly.
Based on current market rates, GPs tend to charge around 40 to 60 percent less per hour for non-subsidised services than psychiatrists, roughly $300 per hour compared with $500 to $800. Psychiatrist-led ADHD care has therefore been financially out of reach for many adults. These changes are likely to improve affordability for some people, but they will not remove costs altogether or fully resolve equity issues.
Some GP services are already advertising lower-cost ADHD assessment and prescribing packages. While increased affordability is welcome, it is worth being cautious. A comprehensive adult ADHD diagnostic assessment takes time. If the advertised price or appointment length appears inconsistent with what best practice guidelines require, it is reasonable to ask how the assessment is being conducted, who is completing it, and how quality is being ensured.
Is access improving quickly?
Access is improving, but not overnight. Significant GP workforce shortages remain [11], and primary care services need time to build training, supervision, and safe ADHD care pathways.
Wait times have been unacceptable. In recent years, around a third of adults seeking private ADHD care waited over a year [12]. New Zealanders deserve better, and these changes will start to expand options and ease pressure on specialist services.
We also know wait times are not only about workforce shortages; they're also about efficient service design and creating work environments where clinicians want to work. At MindMatters Clinic, we have shown that with the right systems and support, high-quality ADHD care can be delivered and long waits eliminated, with an average wait time under three weeks. There is genuine reason to be cautiously optimistic that access can improve if similar models are adopted more widely.
Will the new rules resolve the ADHD medication shortage?
No. Medication supply issues are unrelated to prescribing authority changes. The implementation date was delayed to February 2026 partly to allow time for supply stabilisation, but shortages are expected to persist through 2026.
Overall, this change has represented meaningful progress for adult ADHD care in Aotearoa New Zealand. It's increasing options, improving flexibility, and may reduce pressure on specialist services. However, ADHD care is still specialised, time-intensive work. It will still require careful assessment, trained clinicians, and realistic expectations.
Stay informed, ask questions before booking appointments, and be patient as the system adapts. While this is not a quick fix, it is a step in the right direction.
MindMatters Clinic are a team of New Zealand leading clinical experts supporting organisations across Aotearoa in the areas of wellbeing, mental health, and neurodiversity. MindMatters offers training workshops, speaking events, resources, and consulting services. We also operate a nationwide diagnostic clinic for adult ADHD and autism.
References
1. Pharmac. (2025, June 24). GPs and nurse practitioners able to start ADHD treatment from next year [Press release]. Te Pātaka Whaioranga – Pharmac. https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/news-and-resources/news/gps-and-nurse-practitioners-able-to-start-adhd-treatment-from-next-year
2. Beehive (NZ Government). (2025, June 24). Changes for prescribing ADHD medications [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/changes-prescribing-adhd-medications
4. Medical Council of New Zealand (2025). Register of Doctors.
5. Ministry of Health. (2025). New Zealand Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Clinical Principles Framework. Ministry of Health. https://www.health.govt.nz/publications/new-zealand-clinical-principles-framework-for-attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder
7. May, T., Birch, E., Chaves, K., Cranswick, N., Culnane, E., Delaney, J., Derrick, M., Eapen, V., Edlington, C., & Efron, D. (2023). The Australian evidence-based clinical practice guideline for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
8. Skirrow, P. (2025). Practice Standards for the Assessment of ADHD: A Synthesis of Recommendations From Eight International Guidelines. Journal of the New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, 35(1). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16743965
9. Rau, S., Skapek, M. F., Tiplady, K., Seese, S., Burns, A., Armour, A. C., & Kenworthy, L. (2020). Identifying comorbid ADHD in autism: Attending to the inattentive presentation.
10. Stevens, T., Peng, L., & Barnard-Brak, L. (2016). The comorbidity of ADHD in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 31, 11–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2016.07.003
12. Bull, D. (2022). Background: Our attention deficit to ADHD. Briefing document to national ADHD hui. ADHD NZ
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