An authority from the NSW Ministry of Health is required to prescribe or supply dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse®), or methylphenidate (Concerta®, Ritalin®, Ritalin LA®).
A pharmacist in NSW cannot dispense a prescription for psychostimulant medication unless the prescription bears an authority number issued by the NSW Ministry of Health, regardless of which state or territory a prescription is issued in.
Note: An authority issued to a prescriber by the NSW Ministry of Health is separate to the authority required from Medicare for a patient to receive a PBS subsidised medicine.
Completed forms and supporting documentation should be faxed to Monitoring and Compliance section, Pharmaceutical Regulatory Unit on (02) 9424 5889.
Specialists (e.g. paediatricians, child and adolescent psychiatrists) and other designated prescribers may apply for authorisation to prescribe psychostimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD in a person aged under 18 years by submitting an Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 drug - Psychostimulant for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Updated form).
The same application for may be used to apply to prescribe or supply children doses greater than:
To prescribe psychostimulant medication to a person aged under 18 years for all other indications, submit an Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 psychostimulant, other than for ADHD, for children and adults (Updated form).
Requirements for the authorisation of prescribing and supply of psychostimulants for the management of ADHD in children and adolescents are described in Criteria for the Management of Medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents (TG181).
Specialists (e.g. psychiatrists and neurologists) may apply for authorsiation to prescribe or supply psychostimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD in a person aged 18 years or over by submitting an Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 drug - Psychostimulant for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Updated form).
To prescribe or supply psychostimulant medicine to a person aged 18 years or over for indications other than ADHD, specialists (e.g. psychiatrists, neurologists, respiratory & sleep physicians, palliative care physicians) may apply for authorisation to prescribe psychostimulant medication for a person aged 18 years or over by submitting an Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 psychostimulant, other than for ADHD, for children and adults (Updated form).
Requirements for the authorisation of prescribing and supply of psychostimulants for the management of ADHD in adults are described in Criteria for the Management of Medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults (TG190).
General practitioners may apply for authorisation to continue to prescribe or supply a psychostimulant for a child, adolescent, or adult, in certain circumstances by submitting:
Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 drug - Psychostimulant for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (Updated form)
or
Application for authority to prescribe or supply a Schedule 8 psychostimulant, other than for ADHD, for children and adults (Updated form)
Specialists (paediatricians, psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists and neurologists) may apply to the Ministry of Health for a general authority number (CNS number or S28c number) to prescribe psychostimulant medication for the treatment of ADHD by submitting an Application for a General Authority to prescribe dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate for the treatment of ADHD under clause 84(2)(b) of the NSW Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Regulation 2008 (Updated form).
From August 2018, prescribers who prescribe dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine or methylphenidate for persons with ADHD using their CNS or s28c general authority number are no longer required to submit details of their prescribing on a monthly basis. A letter from the Pharmaceutical Regulatory Unit has been sent to all applicable generally authorised prescribers notifying them of this change.
