ADHD is no longer peripheral to Australian general practice. Rising patient demand, prolonged specialist wait times, and growing public awareness mean GPs are now central to ongoing ADHD care, whether by design or default. For pharmaceutical companies, this creates a clear opportunity, but also exposes the limits of traditional engagement models.
Recent Australian data indicate that ADHD treatment demand has increased sharply, with prescriptions rising by approximately 300% over the past decade, and adult ADHD treatment increasing by around 450% during the same period.¹ This growth signals scale, but it also raises a more important question: how well is the system supporting the clinicians now carrying this demand?
GPs are involved, but cautiously
Most GPs already play a role in ADHD care, particularly in coordination, monitoring, and review. However, involvement drops sharply when it comes to diagnosis and initiation of treatment. This pattern reflects risk management rather than disengagement.
As one GP put it, “Monitoring and review is fine. Initiation is not.”
For pharma, this distinction matters. Support that assumes GPs want to expand scope without guardrails is unlikely to resonate. Value lies in reinforcing safe, supported participation within clearly defined roles.
Confidence, not motivation, is the constraint
GPs consistently describe confidence as the limiting factor in ADHD care, even among those managing patients regularly.
In fact, when asked “Overall, how CONFIDENT are you in managing patients with ADHD?” less than a quarter (23%) said that they were ‘Extremely’ confident or ‘Very’ confident. However, hesitation is rarely only about lack of interest. It also is influenced by perceived clinical and medico-legal exposure too.
One GP explained, “I don’t feel confident diagnosing ADHD without specialist input.”
When GPs talk about low confidence in ADHD care, they are not describing a lack of motivation. They are describing the cumulative effect of practical constraints that shape clinical risk.
Factors shaping GP confidence in ADHD medication initiation
| Factor cited by GPs | Implication for pharma engagement | |
| Limited (or inadequate) confidence or training | 72.2% | Support must be applied, decision-focused, and clearly scoped to GP responsibility |
| Consultation time constraints | 55.6% | Tools must fit within standard consult length and simplify, not extend, workflow |
| Limited access to specialist advice | 50.0% | Visible specialist backup materially increases GP confidence to act |
| PBS restrictions and authority complexity | 38.9% | Practical navigation support is as critical as clinical education |
| Medico-legal and regulatory risk | 27.8% | Clarifying boundaries and shared responsibility reduces risk aversion |
Time pressure shapes engagement
ADHD care is widely seen as complex and time intensive, sitting uncomfortably within standard consultation structures.
As one GP noted, “It’s too time consuming for a standard consult.”
This reality explains why many educational initiatives underperform. Content that adds steps, documentation, or follow-up without offsetting support is misaligned with everyday practice.
Why traditional education often misses the mark
GPs are not rejecting evidence. They are asking for it to be translated into usable support.
As one respondent put it plainly, “Practical tools would be more useful than theoretical education.”
For pharma, this is a design challenge. Information must be converted into tools that reduce friction, clarify decisions, and fit within real consult workflows.
What good ADHD support looks like:
From a GP perspective, high-value ADHD support is:
- Pathway-led rather than product-led
- Focused on shared care, not scope expansion
- Designed to reduce time and cognitive burden
- Embedded alongside trusted GP institutions
- Measured by confidence gained and friction reduced
This requires a shift away from activity metrics towards indicators that reflect real clinical impact.
Conclusion: A call to action for pharma
ADHD represents a genuine opportunity for pharma to demonstrate leadership, but only if engagement models evolve. GPs are not asking to be persuaded. They are asking to be supported.
Pharma’s future role in ADHD care will be defined less by what it promotes and more by how effectively it helps clinicians navigate complexity, risk, and time pressure within the system they already work in.
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Source
[1] Hollingworth S, et al. Trends in prescribing of stimulant medicines for ADHD in Australia, 2013–2023. Medical Journal of Australia. 2024.
AusDoc Survey – ADHD Assessment and Management in Australia, Jan 2026 (n = 201)
This article was written with the assistance of AI