An ADHD diagnosis is a first step towards better understanding how your brain works, and what steps you can take to live life to the fullest. This can include altering your diet, exercise habits, sleep patterns, and if indicated, starting medication. Ongoing GP care is essential to monitor how you are progressing, and if you are taking medication, to assess if the medication is working, and catch any problems early. Your treatment may need to be adapted as your life changes. This guide covers what ongoing ADHD care looks like with a GP in Queensland: how often you are seen, what happens at each review, how prescriptions work, what Medicare covers, and when your GP brings in other clinicians.
In this article
- What ongoing ADHD care with a GP looks like
- How often you see your GP once stable
- What happens at each review appointment
- How repeat prescriptions work in Queensland
- What Medicare covers for ADHD follow-ups
- Mental health check-ins and comorbidity management
- Lifestyle factors your GP monitors alongside medication
- When your GP refers to a psychiatrist or other specialist
- Frequently asked questions
What ongoing ADHD care with a GP looks like
ADHD is a chronic condition. It does not resolve after diagnosis, and medication does not manage itself. Ongoing care means your GP continues to see you at regular intervals to check that your medication is still working, that side effects remain tolerable, and that nothing in your health or circumstances has changed in a way that affects your treatment.
In Queensland, since December 2025, specialist GPs with FRACGP or FACRRM fellowship can independently diagnose adult ADHD, initiate stimulant medication, and provide ongoing care. This means the GP who diagnosed you and started your medication is also the GP who manages you long term. If your case is complex, you may need referral to a psychiatrist or other specialist.
Dr Jeannie Knapp, GP advisor at the North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network, puts it plainly: “ADHD, like other mental health conditions in non-complex adult patients, is a core part of general practice.” The same principle that applies to GPs managing depression, diabetes, or hypertension applies here. Ongoing medication management, safety monitoring, and clinical review sit within GP scope.
How often you see your GP once stable
Review frequency depends on where you are in the treatment process. The Australian clinical practice guideline for ADHD (AADPA, 2024) recommends monthly follow-up appointments during dose titration until your medication is optimised. For most patients, titration takes about 4 to 8 weeks.
Once your dose is stable and you are tolerating the medication well, reviews shift to every 3 months for the first year. After the first year, the AADPA guideline recommends at least two reviews per year. The maximum interval between appointments for patients on Schedule 8 stimulant medication is 6 months, because that is the maximum prescription interval allowed under Queensland’s Medicines and Poisons Act 2019.
The typical schedule:
- Titration phase (weeks 1-8): monthly reviews, sometimes more frequent if dose changes are made weekly
- First year on stable dose: every 3 months
- Beyond year one: every 3 to 6 months, depending on clinical stability
These are minimums. If you are experiencing side effects, a life change that affects your symptoms (new job, pregnancy, perimenopause), or a shift in how well the medication is working, book a review sooner.
What happens at each review appointment
Every ADHD review follows a structured format. Your GP checks both the clinical measurements and your subjective experience of the medication. The AADPA guideline recommends recording blood pressure, pulse, and weight at every review appointment.
A typical review covers:
- Blood pressure and resting heart rate: stimulants can increase heart rate and blood pressure but usually not by a large enough degree to be a problem.
- Weight: the AADPA guideline recommends checking weight every 6 months in adults. Stimulant-related appetite suppression is the most common cause of weight loss during treatment.
- Symptom control: your GP asks whether your core ADHD symptoms (inattention, impulsivity, task initiation) have improved, stayed the same, or worsened since the last visit.
- Side effects: sleep quality, appetite, mood, anxiety, and heart-related symptoms are reviewed. Your GP distinguishes between side effects that are expected and temporary (mild appetite reduction in the first few weeks) versus those that warrant a dose change or medication switch.
- Functional impact: how the medication is affecting your daily life, work, and relationships. Symptom scores alone do not tell the full story.
- Medication adherence: whether you are taking the medication as prescribed, and if not, why. Missed doses, timing changes, and unplanned breaks all affect how the medication works.
For a detailed breakdown of the specific tests and measurements involved, see our guide to how GPs monitor ADHD medication.
How repeat prescriptions work in Queensland
ADHD stimulant medications (dexamphetamine, lisdexamfetamine/Vyvanse, methylphenidate/Ritalin and Concerta) are Schedule 8 controlled drugs under Queensland law. This means they are subject to stricter prescribing rules than standard medications.
In practice, this affects your prescriptions in several ways:
- Maximum supply per script: Although scripts can be written to last for 6 months – that is a one month script with 5 repeats – this does not usually occur until your dose is stable. Your GP writes enough prescriptions at your review to cover the interval until your next appointment.
- Single pharmacy: clinical guidance recommends using a single pharmacy for all Schedule 8 prescriptions. This allows the pharmacist to track your dispensing history and flag any issues.
- No replacement for lost scripts: if you lose a prescription or your medication is lost or stolen, replacement prescriptions are not routinely issued. Store your medication securely and keep your prescriptions safe.
- Queensland Health monitoring: all Schedule 8 prescriptions in Queensland are recorded on the Queensland Health Monitored Medicines database. This is a regulatory requirement, not a reflection on you as a patient.
Telehealth reviews can be suitable for ongoing ADHD care. Your GP then writes the prescription electronically and sends it to your nominated pharmacy. You do not need to attend in person for every script, though at least some appointments should be face-to-face to allow physical measurements (blood pressure, pulse, weight). It is important to remember that telehealth reviews are at the discretion of your treating doctor, and are not always appropriate.
What Medicare covers for ADHD follow-ups
ADHD follow-up appointments with your GP attract a standard Medicare rebate. There is no separate ADHD-specific MBS item number. Your GP bills the consultation under the standard GP attendance items based on the length of the appointment.
The two most common items for ADHD reviews:
- MBS item 23 (Level B, 6-19 minutes): Medicare rebate of $43.90. This covers a straightforward medication review where your dose is stable and no new issues have arisen.
- MBS item 36 (Level C, 20+ minutes): Medicare rebate of $84.90. This applies when the review involves more time, such as discussing a dose change, addressing a comorbid condition, or reviewing side effects in detail.
- MBS item 44 (level D, 40+ minutes): Medicare rebate of $125.10. When many aspects of your treatment or medical problems are dealt with and more time is taken, this item number may apply.
More complex longer consultations of 60 minutes or more have a different item number and will usually cost more. Some investigations such as ECGs can attract Medicare rebates when they are clinically indicated. Your GP may also suggest Medicare items such as a health assessment, a mental health care plan, or a chronic disease care plan. Whether you pay a gap depends on your GP’s billing model. Bulk-billed appointments have no out-of-pocket cost. If your GP charges a private fee, the gap is the difference between their fee and the Medicare rebate. To be able to provide you quality care and cover costs, many GPs will charge an out of pocket gap fee. For a full explanation of ADHD-related Medicare costs, see our Medicare rebates guide.
Telehealth ADHD follow-ups can also attract Medicare rebates. Different item numbers apply.
Mental health check-ins and comorbidity management
ADHD rarely exists in isolation. Research consistently shows that adults with ADHD have high rates of co-occurring conditions: anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disorders, substance use disorders, and other neurodevelopmental conditions including autism spectrum disorder. Your GP monitors these alongside your ADHD treatment, not as separate issues.
At each review, your GP checks for:
- Anxiety: stimulant medications occasionally worsen anxiety, particularly at higher doses. If new anxiety appears after starting or increasing a stimulant, your GP assesses whether it is dose-related (and will resolve with a dose reduction) or a separate anxiety disorder requiring its own treatment. For more on this overlap, see ADHD and anxiety: how GPs tell them apart.
- Depression and mood: ADHD burnout and depression share symptoms. Your GP distinguishes between ADHD-related emotional dysregulation (which often improves with adequate stimulant dosing) and clinical depression (which requires separate treatment).
- Sleep: stimulants affect sleep onset in many patients. Your GP reviews your sleep patterns and adjusts medication timing if needed. Taking the medication earlier in the day is the first-line approach for stimulant-related insomnia.
- Substance use: adults with untreated ADHD have higher rates of substance use disorders. Adequate ADHD treatment typically reduces this risk, but your GP monitors for problematic patterns, particularly with alcohol and cannabis.
- Hormonal changes: for women, oestrogen fluctuations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and perimenopause affect how ADHD medication works. Your GP adjusts the treatment plan during these transitions.
If a comorbid condition is complex enough to require specialist input, your GP coordinates with the relevant clinician (psychiatrist, psychologist, or sleep physician) while continuing to manage your ADHD medication.
Lifestyle factors your GP monitors alongside medication
Medication is one part of ADHD management. Your GP also reviews non-medication factors that affect symptom control and overall wellbeing:
- Exercise: the evidence shows regular physical activity improves ADHD symptoms independently of medication. Your GP checks whether you have an exercise routine and discusses options if not.
- Nutrition: stimulant-related appetite suppression is real. Your GP monitors weight trends and discusses eating strategies (eating before medication, scheduling meals) if weight loss becomes clinically significant.
- Sleep hygiene: structured sleep routines, consistent wake times, and reduced screen exposure before bed all support better medication response. Your GP reviews these alongside the clinical measurements.
- Caffeine and alcohol: both interact with stimulant medications. Caffeine amplifies the cardiovascular effects (increased heart rate, jitteriness). Alcohol impairs executive function, which is the same set of skills ADHD medication is trying to improve. Your GP asks about consumption patterns at review.
- Work and daily functioning: changes in job demands, study load, or family responsibilities affect how well your current dose manages your symptoms. A dose that worked during a low-stress period might not provide enough coverage when demands increase.
When your GP refers to a psychiatrist or other specialist
Most adults with ADHD are managed entirely by their GP. Referral to a psychiatrist or other specialist happens when the clinical situation goes beyond what GP-level care covers. Your GP refers when:
- Two stimulant classes have been trialled without adequate response: if a full trial of both amphetamine-based (Vyvanse, dexamphetamine) and methylphenidate-based (Ritalin, Concerta) stimulants at adequate doses has not provided sufficient symptom control, a psychiatrist review is warranted.
- Complex psychiatric comorbidities: co-occurring bipolar disorder, psychosis, severe personality disorder, active substance dependence, or treatment-resistant depression require specialist psychiatric input alongside ADHD management.
- Diagnostic uncertainty: if the GP is uncertain whether symptoms are better explained by another condition (such as autism spectrum disorder, complex PTSD, or a personality disorder), a psychiatrist or neuropsychologist helps clarify the diagnosis.
- Cardiovascular concerns: if pre-treatment cardiac screening identifies a risk factor (structural heart disease, family history of sudden cardiac death, hypertension), the GP refers to a cardiologist before starting or continuing stimulants.
- Pregnancy or planned pregnancy: the safety profile of ADHD medications during pregnancy requires specialist guidance. A psychiatrist with perinatal expertise or an obstetrician works with your GP to plan medication management.
- Severe side effects that do not respond to dose adjustment or medication switching: persistent, intolerable side effects across multiple medications warrant specialist review of the treatment plan.
Referral does not mean your GP stops managing your care. In most cases, the specialist provides advice and your GP implements it. The specialist writes a report with medication recommendations, and your GP continues writing prescriptions and conducting reviews. This shared care model is how most chronic conditions work in Australian general practice.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to stay on ADHD medication?
ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition, and most adults who benefit from medication continue it long term. There is no set end date. Your GP reviews whether medication is still needed at each appointment by assessing symptom control, side effects, and functional impact. If you want to try stopping, your GP supervises a gradual reduction rather than abrupt cessation.
Do I need to see my GP in person or is telehealth acceptable for ADHD reviews?
Telehealth is acceptable for some ADHD follow-up appointments and may attract a Medicare rebate. Some appointments should be face-to-face so your GP can measure blood pressure, pulse, and weight. A common pattern is alternating between telehealth and in-person visits, particularly once your dose is stable.
What happens if I move interstate while on ADHD medication?
Every Australian state has different prescribing regulations for Schedule 8 stimulants. If you move from Queensland to another state, you need a GP in your new state who is authorised to prescribe under that state’s rules. Your current GP provides a detailed handover letter including your diagnosis, medication history, and current dose. Start the process before you move, as establishing care with a new prescriber takes time.
Do I need to see a psychiatrist as well as my GP for ongoing ADHD care?
Not in most cases. In Queensland, a specialist GP with FRACGP or FACRRM can independently manage your ADHD from diagnosis through to long-term care. Psychiatrist referral is reserved for situations where treatment is not working as expected, complex comorbidities are present, or the diagnosis is uncertain. Most adults with straightforward ADHD are managed entirely within general practice.
What if I want to take a break from ADHD medication?
Planned medication breaks (sometimes called drug holidays) are not routinely recommended for adults, but they are an option to discuss with your GP. Stopping suddenly causes rebound symptoms in many people. If you want to trial a break, your GP advises on the best timing and monitors how your symptoms respond off medication. Some adults take weekends off short-acting stimulants, but this is an individual decision made with your prescriber.
Ongoing ADHD care with a GP is routine, structured, and covered by Medicare. The goal is not perfection. It is finding a medication regimen that gives you meaningful symptom improvement with tolerable side effects, then monitoring it over time as your life, body, and circumstances change. If you have not yet been assessed, book an ADHD assessment.
General health information
This article is general health information only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always speak with a qualified health professional before making any changes to your medication or treatment plan.
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