GPs, nurses able to diagnose, treat ADHD from next year
GPs and nurse practitioners will soon be able to diagnose and treat patients with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it has been announced.
Under the current system, GPs and nurses can only prescribe ADHD stimulant medicines on a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist or after the patient has already been previously diagnosed with ADHD.
Pharmac's acting director of advice and assessment Catherine Epps said that the new rules decided by Pharmac and Medsafe will mean that, over time, more GPs and nurses will be able to diagnose people with ADHD and start treatment.
"The decision, which is based on feedback from psychiatrists, paediatricians, GPs, nurse practitioners and patients, is one of many changes we are making to increase access to ADHD medicines," said Epps.
For children and adolescents, the changes will enable nurse practitioners working within child health or mental health services to diagnose and initiate treatment for ADHD.
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Medsafe group manager Chris James said that New Zealand has a workforce of highly experienced GPs and nurse practitioners, with many already working closely with specialists to treat patients with ADHD.
"Implementing this change will mean they can do this work more quickly and efficiently without needing to wait for approval from a specialist," James said.
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey applauded the decision and said it was a step forward for patient support and system efficiency.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including Iran's retaliation, Auckland Council's catering cost, and the new way to look deep into space. (Source: 1News)
"This is a common-sense change that will make a meaningful difference in many lives of New Zealanders," Doocey said.
"I have heard stories of many people with ADHD who have been unable to get a diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner because of long wait items and costs associated with seeing a specialist."
Earlier this year, Medsafe and Pharmac received feedback from more than 940 people and organisations on the proposed change.
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The Ministry of Health said that most of the feedback was supportive, and people believed the decision would improve access to diagnosis and treatment.
However, some people were concerned about supply issues affecting the availability of methylphenidate. To address this, health agencies have delayed the implementation date from July 2025 to February 2026.
This will also allow GPs and nurse practitioners more time to develop further clinical expertise in ADHD.
Doocey said that the Ministry of Health is working with sector representatives to develop a clinical principles framework for the assessment and treatment of ADHD which will ensure quality and consistency for supporting patients.
"We have heard your feedback loud and clear, and we know the positive impact this decision will have on many people's ability to access what is often life-changing medicines."
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1News
4 hours ago
- 1News
GPs, nurses able to diagnose, treat ADHD from next year
GPs and nurse practitioners will soon be able to diagnose and treat patients with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), it has been announced. Under the current system, GPs and nurses can only prescribe ADHD stimulant medicines on a written recommendation from a paediatrician or psychiatrist or after the patient has already been previously diagnosed with ADHD. Pharmac's acting director of advice and assessment Catherine Epps said that the new rules decided by Pharmac and Medsafe will mean that, over time, more GPs and nurses will be able to diagnose people with ADHD and start treatment. "The decision, which is based on feedback from psychiatrists, paediatricians, GPs, nurse practitioners and patients, is one of many changes we are making to increase access to ADHD medicines," said Epps. For children and adolescents, the changes will enable nurse practitioners working within child health or mental health services to diagnose and initiate treatment for ADHD. ADVERTISEMENT Medsafe group manager Chris James said that New Zealand has a workforce of highly experienced GPs and nurse practitioners, with many already working closely with specialists to treat patients with ADHD. "Implementing this change will mean they can do this work more quickly and efficiently without needing to wait for approval from a specialist," James said. Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey applauded the decision and said it was a step forward for patient support and system efficiency. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds including Iran's retaliation, Auckland Council's catering cost, and the new way to look deep into space. (Source: 1News) "This is a common-sense change that will make a meaningful difference in many lives of New Zealanders," Doocey said. "I have heard stories of many people with ADHD who have been unable to get a diagnosis and treatment in a timely manner because of long wait items and costs associated with seeing a specialist." Earlier this year, Medsafe and Pharmac received feedback from more than 940 people and organisations on the proposed change. ADVERTISEMENT The Ministry of Health said that most of the feedback was supportive, and people believed the decision would improve access to diagnosis and treatment. However, some people were concerned about supply issues affecting the availability of methylphenidate. To address this, health agencies have delayed the implementation date from July 2025 to February 2026. This will also allow GPs and nurse practitioners more time to develop further clinical expertise in ADHD. Doocey said that the Ministry of Health is working with sector representatives to develop a clinical principles framework for the assessment and treatment of ADHD which will ensure quality and consistency for supporting patients. "We have heard your feedback loud and clear, and we know the positive impact this decision will have on many people's ability to access what is often life-changing medicines."
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Crony Capitalism
On 21 November 2021 Winston Peters posted on X (Twitter) that New Zealand has a government that '…has an unhealthy penchant for crony capitalism and protecting their mates'. This followed a media release from him 10 days earlier as Leader of New Zealand First. The context was the findings of the Auditor General's look into saliva testing procurement during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. He claimed that the Auditor-General (John Ryan) had confirmed his quoted words above in respect of the Labour government under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Overcooked claim A closer examination, however, reveals that Peters has overcooked the Auditor-General's investigation. One simply needs to read the latter's concluding letter to the Ministry of Health (10 November). In the independent statutory officer's own words: As you are aware, concerns were raised with us regarding the Ministry of Health's procurement of Covid-19 saliva testing services. Those concerns were broad and included: the Ministry's decision not to appoint an external probity auditor to support the procurement; the Ministry's management of probity during the procurement; the Ministry's choice of members for its procurement panel and management of conflicts of interest; the communication provided to tenderers throughout the procurement process, particularly regarding delays; the possibility of a pre-determined procurement outcome; the provider the Ministry selected to deliver saliva testing, and the delays in announcing this; the slow pace at which saliva testing was procured as part of the public health response; and the slow pace at which saliva testing is being implemented despite the urgency surrounding the procurement. As a result of these concerns, we met with Ministry staff and sought information about aspects of the procurement so we could understand how it was managed and how final decisions were made. We also looked at the internal assurance review of the procurement process carried out by the Ministry. The review outlined opportunities, and an intention for improvement in the Ministry's procurement practice. The Ministry told us it is taking steps to improve how it manages future procurements. Having reviewed information from the Ministry, we consider further inquiry is not warranted at this time. However, I have identified serious concerns about aspects of how this procurement was managed… What can be taken from the Auditor-General is that: the saliva procurement process was undertaken by the Ministry of Health on behalf of but not by the former government; the Auditor-General had some serious concerns about the process much of which had been addressed by an internal Ministry review; the Auditor-General saw no need to investigate further; and there was nothing in his report to suggest cronyism or any link with capitalists or capitalism (whatever was meant by Peters' choice of language). It should also be noted that that the procurement process was undertaken in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. The obvious challenges this created for a perfect process appears to have passed Petters by. So, what is crony capitalism Nevertheless, Winston Peters' overcooking still raises the question of what 'crony capitalism' is. The expression certainly has a captive ring to it. Cronyism is a pejorative term used to describe a situation in which businesses profit from a close relationship with those in government. This can include government grants, tax breaks, and undue influence over the deployment of public goods (such as contracts for public works). Private wealth accumulation is the outcome. This relationship between business and governments gets called 'crony capitalism'. It first became extensively used in the 1980s to describe the Philippine economy under its corrupt dictator Ferdinand Marcos (father of the current elected president). 'Crony capitalism' also had a significant public impact as an explanation for the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Pot calling the kettle black…many times Winston Peters overcooked claims of crony capitalism by the former Labour government should be compared with the relationship between business profit interests and the current coalition government of which his party is a member and of which he was until recently deputy prime minister (now number three in cabinet rankings). The track record confirms that the pot has been caught out calling the kettle black numerous times. That is, what the accused is criticised for is being practiced by the accuser. Hypocrisy packaged as an ancient proverb. This became quickly obvious soon after the 2023 general election when NZ First deputy health minister Casey Costello led the move to repeal New Zealand's previous world tobacco legislation and to subsequently introduce tax breaks and other financial benefits for the industry. The links between NZ First and the tobacco industry were soon exposed by first class mainstream media investigative journalism, such as Stuff's Andrea Vance, and the academically rigorous Public Health Communication Centre (its director is experienced epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker). In a nutshell, key current 'Big Tobacco' senior staff were previously, before the last election, holding senior NZ First staff positions and Costello's advocacy for and defence of her actions closely resembled industry talking points. It should also be noted that senior National Party MP Chris Bishop is a former tobacco industry lobbyist prior to becoming an MP while Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has a family connection with the same industry. 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In Edwards' words: Mark Patterson, a New Zealand First MP-turned-Cabinet Minister, whose private business interests have collided with his public duties. Patterson sat in on crucial Cabinet discussions about climate policy – despite personally standing to gain from those decisions. The conflict involves Ngapara Farms Ltd, a company Patterson co-owns that is registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and earns revenue from carbon forestry. In other words, Patterson has a pecuniary interest in the price of carbon credits, yet he participated in setting those very policies. Say no more! ACT making hay while sun shines on agribusiness Edwards does not just focus on NZ First MPs. ACT is also making hay while its political sun shines bright, particularly through former Federated Farmers President Andrew Hoggard's strategic placement in food safety and agriculture. 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In short, KPMG has a vested interest in the agribusiness status quo: the more complex and drawn-out these transitions (to lower emissions, better water quality, etc.) are, the more consulting work arises. The Agenda does not disclose KPMG's client interests, but it's well known that Big Four firms, including KPMG, make millions from Government contracts and industry consulting. In the agribusiness sector, you can bet KPMG is advising both the Government and the companies on either side of many deals – a potential conflict of interest that remains unspoken. Further context Bryce Edwards also reports the appearance of new terminology ('chumocracy' and 'cosyism') to provide further context to amplify the business interests-political governance relationship in an Integrity Briefing published on 21 May: 'Chumocracy', 'Cosyism' and suppression. Professor Robert MacCulloch is an economist who was pressured to shut down his personal website because he had critiqued the cosy relationship between cabinet ministers, the banking sector and the New Zealand Initiative (a pro-corporate rightwing business organisation originating out of the Business Roundtable which was influential in the expansion of neo-liberalism in the 1980s and 1990s). To complete the context Edwards discussed the significance of the 2025 National Business Review 'rich list' in terms of who runs the country in an Integrity Briefing published on 9 June: Who runs the country. A Trumpian quality There is a certain Trumpian quality about all of this, at least a lighter version of it. What Winston Peters might call crony capitalism when not in government, is flourishing under the government he now partly leads. Similar to the United States 'Crony-in-Charge', it is characterised by being 'in-your-face' (blatantly so). The crony capitalism Peters accused the previous government of committing involved flaws in a procurement process undertaken in the difficult circumstances of being in the midst of a pandemic. It did not involve lack of integrity such as businesses profiteering from a close association with government. On the other hand, issues over lack of integrity and profiteering from close associations with government are increasingly obvious under Peters' current government 'watch'. This is obvious in the case of the tobacco industry, carbon emissions and agribusiness. The mind boggles over what might be happening in pharmaceuticals with former 'Big Pharma' senior employee Todd Stephenson. Now, as an ACT MP, he is a health undersecretary for pharmaceuticals, including the regulator MedSafe and the drug purchasing agency Pharmac. Perhaps time for another deep dive Bryce Edwards? Just saying!
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
GPs and nurses to soon diagnose and prescribe meds for ADHD
GPs and specialist nurses will soon be able to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD. At the moment they need the written recommendation of a psychiatrist or paediatrician to start prescribing medications for Attention Deficit Hyper Activity medications, and that can take months. Now Medsafe and Pharmac have announced a rule change. From next year GPs and nurse practioners will be able to diagnose and start adults on treatment. Dr Anna Skinner, the Chief Clinical Advisor for Primary Care at Health New Zealand spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
