Thursday, 5 February 2026

 Georgie CROZIER (Southern Metropolitan) (19:15): (2296) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and it regards the government’s reckless decision to allow access to prescriptions for ADHD medication through an online consultation via the virtual emergency department, which was announced yesterday. The action I am seeking is for the minister to explain what action she took to ensure proper consultation with medical experts before the government announced this major change to ADHD prescribing through the virtual emergency department, because a particularly concerning aspect of this announcement that occurred yesterday was that the proper consultation with key stakeholders did not occur. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Australian Medical Association were blindsided by this announcement. The very experts who have been working with the government on reforms to allow GPs to diagnose ADHD and prescribe ADHD medications – the RACGP and college of psychiatrists – were not consulted on this significant policy shift. Stakeholders such as the RACGP, the AMA and the RANZCP have raised serious questions about patient safety, clinical governance, continuity of care and the risk of inappropriate prescribing.

RACGP chair Dr Anita Muñoz said she was extremely disappointed and blindsided by the decision that the government announced ‘with no warning and no consultation’. AMA president Simon Judkins said the announcement ‘seems like a step too far without adequate consultation’. Simon Straface, the chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said:

… the government has announced another significant policy change without consulting medical colleges or ADHD experts.

In response to this criticism, the Premier took to social media to defend her decision to provide ADHD medication via the virtual ED and said:

… even if that means breaking a few conventions.

This announcement that prescriptions can be filled by a call to the virtual ED also creates confusion by sending mixed messages to the public, when the government consistently advises that the VED is for emergencies only. In fact the website states:

VVED is an emergency care service and does not do routine prescription refills …

Here lies the problem with this government: it is chaotic. It is all over the place, and it has caused immense confusion amongst the medical fraternity. They are quite rightly flabbergasted by this government announcement yesterday. That is why I have asked the action I have of the minister to provide what consultation she actually took with these key stakeholder groups.