Today, consultation opened on a proposal by Pharmac and the Ministry of Health (Medsafe) to improve access to stimulant medicines used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The proposal suggests broadening the range of people who can initiate treatment of stimulant medicines which, over time, would lead to more doctors and nurse practitioners being able to diagnose and treat ADHD.
Group Manager of Medsafe, Chris James, says "the intent of the proposal is to increase access to ADHD medicines for people who need them. The proposal follows feedback from the sector that these changes may help reduce wait times and costs for people at a time when our workforce is under pressure."
Chief Medical Officer of Pharmac, David Hughes, said the proposal, if approved, would improve access to ADHD medicines over time.
"This proposal follows years of work with the health and disability system, clinicians, and advocacy groups to support better services for people with ADHD in New Zealand, and we thank the advocacy groups in particular for all of their feedback over this time," says Hughes.
Currently, for people to have access to ADHD stimulant medicines, a medical practitioner specialising in paediatrics or psychiatry must initiate the treatment. Subsequent prescriptions can then be prescribed by any medical practitioner or nurse practitioner when acting on the written recommendation of a specialist.
The consultation also seeks feedback on what would be needed to ensure medicines are prescribed appropriately, and that people with ADHD are able to safely access stimulant medicines. These include working within appropriate multi-disciplinary settings, defining training requirements, and specifying the circumstances for initiating prescribing based on the age of the patient.
The consultation closes on Tuesday 11 February 2025. After feedback has been reviewed to identify any issues that require further advice or consideration, Pharmac and the Ministry of Health will make a joint decision on both proposals. If approved, we're proposing that the changes would be made from 1 July 2025.
