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, Dr 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.
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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.
Proposal
to change the regulatory and funding restrictions for
stimulant treatments for
ADHD
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