Getting care shouldn't require you to become an expert in the healthcare system.
How adult ADHD care works in Australia: assessment costs, Medicare rebates, PBS medicines, current NSW GP rules and who can continue care.
Practical guides to costs, rebates, medicines and who can provide care. Rules differ by state and territory, so each section says which rules apply.
By Dr Jaspreet Saini. Last reviewed 2026-10-18
What a trained GP can do in NSW
Applies in NSW. GPs who have completed NSW endorsement training can assess and diagnose ADHD, start medication and adjust it. GPs who are not endorsed may still be able to provide a diagnostic assessment for ADHD, but cannot initiate ADHD medication. To continue medication started by a specialist, they must be ADHD Continuation Prescribers. Diagnostic assessment and prescribing authority are separate. Psychiatrists remain involved for complex care. Source: NSW Health.
How costs are made up
Applies nationally. The cost of care has three parts: the assessment, any medicines, and ongoing reviews. Consultations attract a Medicare rebate, and many clinicians charge above it. Ask any practice for its fees, the expected rebate and the cost of reviews before booking. Source: MBS Online.
Medicines and the PBS
Applies nationally. Some ADHD medicines are subsidised on the PBS for adults only when specific criteria are met. Others are private scripts and cost more. Source: PBS.
No childhood school reports
Reports help but are not essential. Accounts from family and detailed personal history can be used instead.
Who can provide continuing care
Psychiatrists, paediatricians for younger people, and in NSW, endorsed GPs and ADHD Continuation Prescribers. Your regular GP is usually the best first conversation.
Further reading
- Can a GP diagnose and treat ADHD in NSW? A guide to the current rules
The current NSW rules: endorsed GPs can assess, diagnose and start ADHD treatment, and ADHD Continuation Prescribers can continue it.
- How much does adult ADHD assessment and treatment really cost in Australia?
How the costs of adult ADHD care are made up in Australia: consultation fees, Medicare rebates, medicines and the PBS, and ongoing reviews.
- Finding an ADHD GP in NSW: what to ask.
What an endorsed GP is, how it differs from a GP who continues treatment, and the questions worth asking a practice before you book.
- Diagnosed with ADHD but can't access treatment: what are your options?
When a diagnosis does not lead to treatment: specialist waitlists, GP continuation, endorsed GPs in NSW and non-medication support.
This page is general information, not personal medical advice.