SINGAPORE: There has been a worldwide explosion in the number of scripts being issued by doctors for ADHD.
The number of Australians taking ADHD drugs is closing in on 1 million after the taxpayer-funded scripts for medications to treat the condition jumped 25 per cent last year, triggering warnings from politicians and doctors that greater scrutiny is required of telehealth diagnosis.
There were 6.7 million scripts for ADHD medication written for 837,937 patients via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in calendar 2025, previously unpublished Department of Health data requested by AFR Weekend. This compares with 667,201 patients who were issued with 5.3 million scripts in 2024.
The latest volumes are more than double those of three years earlier, with the growth in diagnosis accelerating each year since the COVID-19 pandemic, making volumes of the medicines one of the most significant line items on the publicly funded PBS.
The data confirms a broader trend of surging diagnoses for mental illness, autism and ADHD, which is driving up the cost of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and leading to the sharp rise in sickness benefits claims, alarming workplaces and life insurers.
The burden of mental health claims, ADHD and autism on the public purse comes as Treasurer Jim Chalmers promises the government will deliver a reform budget on May 12 in the midst of the Middle East conflict, which is expected to continue driving up prices in the economy.
Jobs in disability and health-related services have soared by more than 50 per cent over the past five years, driven in large part by the $52 billion NDIS, underscoring the major role the care economy has played in employment growth under the Albanese government.
Labor is under pressure to reduce government spending – which is at a near 40-year high, excluding the pandemic – amid concerns it is contributing to inflation and crowding out private sector activity.
Government spending on the NDIS and the broader healthcare sector has expanded rapidly and has been a big driver of non-market employment.
Health Minister Mark Butler said on Friday he welcomed calls to rein in the scheme, as he declined to rule out introducing means testing for wealthy families.
“Some of its spending is out of control, and it needs to be managed. But I really welcome that different colleagues are putting different ideas on the table,” he said.
The government spends about $19 billion a year funding PBS medications. ADHD drugs make up around 2-3 per cent of this – one of the biggest single items being claimed on the PBS – costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars a year and rising sharply.
MPs and doctors said rates of people being diagnosed with ADHD will only accelerate as more Australians access online consultations and more relaxed rules are implemented by the states about who can prescribe ADHD medications.
Victoria and Queensland are moving towards allowing GPs to diagnose and prescribe medication for the condition. Currently, only psychiatrists are permitted to do so. Doctors’ groups have opposed a move by Victoria to allow patients with an existing ADHD diagnosis to top up prescriptions via an online consultation without seeing a GP or psychiatrist.
“There is this surge in people being diagnosed with ADHD and autism, often with pretty superficial assessments,” said paediatrician and Labor MP Mike Freelander, who chairs a parliamentary health committee. “There is a surge in prescriptions of these medications, and I’m not sure how justified they are, and I’m not sure if there is any tracking of data about whether they work or not.
“It is another abuse of the telehealth system. I’m not a great fan. Relatively minor variance from average should not be considered as disorders or be medicated,” he said.
While greater awareness and acceptance of the condition in both adults and children have led to a surge in diagnosis, many in the medical profession argue that the pendulum has swung too far, and many claims are not evidence-based.
In December, the UK government ordered a clinical review of the diagnosis of mental health conditions and questioned whether normal behaviour or personality quirks were being over-pathologised.
Life insurers say they are swamped with claims from young people with severe anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorders, with mental health claims surging from $1.2 billion in 2019 to $2.42 billion in 2024. In that year, almost one in three total and permanent disability claims and one in four income protection claims were for mental health.
“The life insurance industry is seeing consistent year-on-year increases in claims, and a growing number of people, particularly Australians in the prime of their working life, are becoming permanently unable to work due to mental health conditions,” Council of Australian Life Insurers chief executive Christine Culpitt said on Friday.
“This sustained growth in mental health claims is placing real pressure on the affordability and sustainability of cover across the system.”
The funding drain reflects pressures on the NDIS, which is making payments of more than $10 billion annually for participants with autism. The Albanese government is exploring ways to slash the $50 billion scheme’s growth from 10 per cent to 5 per cent in next month’s federal budget.
ADHD is not automatically covered by the scheme, but can be eligible for the funding if the condition significantly impacts their daily functioning and meets the eligibility criteria.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics says 1.7 million Australians, or 6.5 per cent of the population, had a psychosocial disability in 2022, up from 1.1 million in 2018. It does not have more up-to-date data, but experts say those figures would now be far higher.
Patient seeking scripts for ADHD medications, including dexamfetamine, methylphenidate (which is better known as Ritalin), atomoxetine, guanfacine and lisdexamfetamine on the PBS have more than tripled since 2020.
There has also been a surge in medicinal cannabis prescriptions.