Victorian GPs and nurse practitioners can now continue stimulant treatment without applying for a permit, provided patients have a valid instruction from an authorised specialist.
Victoria has made it easier for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to continue stimulant treatment through general practice, after the state’s health department changed the rules on repeat prescribing. Under the new arrangement, GPs and nurse practitioners can issue these medicines without first applying for a permit, provided they have a valid ADHD treatment instruction from an authorised specialist, according to the Victorian Department of Health.
The department says the change took effect on 14 October 2026 and is intended to reduce red tape while improving access to treatment. The new instruction can come from a paediatrician, a psychiatrist or an ADHD practitioner, meaning a GP who has completed additional training approved by the department. Interstate letters from psychiatrists and paediatricians are accepted, but interstate GP letters generally are not unless the doctor has completed the Victorian training. Letters from psychologists do not count.
For patients already receiving stimulant treatment, the update should remove a layer of administration. A GP can keep prescribing once the instruction is in place, and prescriptions are no longer restricted to the clinic that originally held the permit. The department still says that SafeScript, Victoria’s real-time prescription monitoring system, must be checked each time a stimulant is prescribed. Permits remain necessary in some situations, including when the medicine is being used for a condition other than ADHD or for a drug-dependent person.
The department is also tightening what needs to be included in specialist letters from 1 December 2026. New instructions will need to set out the medicine, dose, maximum dose and diagnostic details, which means some older letters may need to be updated. That makes it especially important for families to bring their most recent specialist letter to a GP appointment. The broader policy shift follows earlier Victorian reforms aimed at expanding ADHD care in general practice, including training selected GPs to diagnose and manage the condition and a limited role for the Virtual Emergency Department in providing short-term access to prescriptions.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
