Up to 65 West Australian GPs are expected to begin assessing and prescribing for ADHD as early as next year.
The State Government has released details on the rollout of the newly created training for GPs to play a bigger role in managing the condition.
While the initial cohort equates to less than 1% of all GPs in WA, further training is expected to be delivered in the future.
RELATED: GP ADHD training to be delivered ‘as soon as possible’
The training program, developed by the RACGP, will be supported by specialist mentorship and delivered with oversight from WA Health.
Once trained, GPs will be able to assess ADHD in patients aged 10 and older, and under recent changes to WA’s prescribing regulations they will be able to prescribe stimulant medications.
It is hoped this will ease pressure on paediatricians and psychiatrists, helping more people access early diagnosis and treatment.
It is planned for the training to be delivered to a mix of GPs from metropolitan and regional areas.
RACGP Vice President and WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman said the change would enable a number of GPs to practice at top of scope to help reduce treatment delays and costs for patients.
Dr Raman said paediatrician’s and psychiatrists would provide peer learning and mentorship to GPs taking part in the initial training.
“The training will include online modules, monthly online peer-group learning sessions with ADHD paediatricians and psychiatrists, asynchronous case discussions and peer support, plus access to clinical resources such as AAPDA guidelines for ADHD assessment, management, and prescribing,” she said.
She said a six-month period of close collaboration with specialist paediatricians and psychiatrists would ensure GPs were “confident, skilled, and well-advised for what can be a complex assessment”.
Dr Raman said the training program was “expected to be rolled out later this year, with the first participating cohort of GPs being able to diagnose and treat ADHD independently from early 2026”.
RELATED: Guide to the subtleties of ADHD
Health Minister Meredith Hammat said: “By giving GPs the right training and support, we’re expanding access to safe, timely, and effective treatment in the community.”
An advisory committee will be established to guide the rollout.
The 2025-26 State Budget, which was released in June, earmarked $1.3 million to the ADHD GP Program and support for GPs treating patients with ADHD.
Interested GPs are encouraged to email the RACGP WA team via [email protected]
All RACGP members can access the ADHD training modules in the College’s GP Learning platform at any time.
The WA government was the first Australian jurisdiction to announce a comprehensive program for ADHD diagnosis and management by specialist GPs, with other states following suit in recent months.
Want more news, clinicals, features and guest columns delivered straight to you? Subscribe for free to WA’s only independent magazine for medical practitioners.
Want to submit an article? Email [email protected]