Full Breakdown
Telehealth Fuels a Surge in ADHD Prescriptions in Australia
7/23/2026, 8:00:44 PM
Telepsychiatry’s Shift Toward ADHD Prescriptions
Since Medicare made telepsychiatry permanently reimbursable in January 2022, video and phone psychiatric consultations have become routine. A new analysis of nearly 4 million Medicare Benefits Schedule records (2017-2023) shows that the rapid growth in telepsychiatry has been dominated by appointments that end in stimulant prescriptions for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By 2022, the share of psychiatric consultations linked to an ADHD prescription rose from 4.3 % to 11.8 %, and about one-quarter of all video psychiatry visits resulted in a stimulant script. Prescriptions for other psychiatric conditions remained flat or fell.
Policy Background and Telehealth Expansion
The permanent telepsychiatry arrangement was intended to increase flexibility, shorten wait times, and improve access for patients in rural and remote areas. Earlier research had shown telepsychiatry could alleviate psychiatrist shortages in underserved regions, leading to expectations that ADHD prescribing via telehealth would be concentrated among clinicians serving those communities.
Prescription Trends and Demographics
Contrary to expectations, the steepest increase in ADHD prescribing came from psychiatrists practising in Australia’s most socio-economically advantaged postcodes—almost half of all psychiatrists in the dataset were based in the wealthiest areas. The surge coincided with a broader rise in ADHD medication dispensing nationally (an eleven-fold increase from 2004-05 to 2023-24) and a higher proportion of female patients receiving diagnoses, a group historically under-recognised. Online interest in “ADHD treatment” and “ADHD medication” grew steadily over the study period, mirroring the rise in video-based stimulant prescriptions.
Economic and Access Implications
Video ADHD consultations cost patients more out-of-pocket than comparable face-to-face appointments, suggesting the model benefits those who can already afford care rather than reducing cost barriers. The business model—short, one-off assessments that often result in a prescription—allows psychiatrists to see more patients quickly, making it financially attractive. As Medicare funding for telehealth becomes increasingly concentrated on ADHD, the authors warn that market access for other mental-health conditions may be crowded out.
Future Policy Considerations
State governments are moving to allow general practitioners to diagnose and prescribe ADHD medication for adults, aiming to address access challenges. The authors caution that without safeguards, similar commoditisation patterns observed in telepsychiatry could emerge in primary-care settings, potentially replicating the focus on a lucrative, fast-growing diagnosis at the expense of broader psychiatric care.
