Published: 24 June 2025
Consultations
Outcome of the consultation on the proposal to change the regulatory and funding restrictions for stimulant treatments for ADHD
- Summary
- About the consultation
- Responses received
- Summary of responses
- Outcome
- Implementation date
- Enquiries
Summary
- Medsafe and Pharmac consulted on proposals to change the regulatory and funding restrictions for stimulant treatments for ADHD.
- We received approximately 900 submissions.
- Download the consultation outcome document to view the submissions and Medsafe's responses: Consultation Outcome (PDF, 509KB, 27 pages).
- For information on the decisions from this consultation see: Decision to change the regulatory and funding restrictions for stimulant medicines for ADHD.
About the consultation
Medsafe and Pharmac conducted a public consultation from 17 December 2024 to 11 February 2025 to gather feedback on proposed changes to the regulatory restrictions for stimulant treatments for ADHD.
The proposals aimed to improve access to ADHD treatment by allowing additional healthcare practitioners to initiate prescribing of ADHD stimulant medications (dexamfetamine, lisdexamfetamine, and methylphenidate). The consultation sought input from a wide range of stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, patients, support groups, and pharmaceutical suppliers. The consultation was part of ongoing efforts to enhance ADHD care in New Zealand, following the ADHD Parliamentary Hui held in May 2024
Responses received
We received approximately 900 submissions including ~750 submitted via the Pharmac consultation tool, and a further ~150 submitted manually via email. The submissions came from a variety of stakeholders, including healthcare providers and patients / caregivers with lived experience with ADHD.
Further information on the responses received is available in the Consultation Outcome (PDF, 509KB, 27 pages) document.
Medsafe would like to thank all those who took the time to respond to the consultation and provided comments.
Summary of responses
Medsafe have summarised the responses in the Consultation Outcome (PDF, 509KB, 27 pages) document.
The information provided has been grouped into sections relating to each of the four primary proposals, and two further sections relating to the training requirements and other feedback received.
Feedback to each survey question is included. Due to the volume of responses and open-ended questions, the responses have been summarised and grouped by theme.
Outcome
Most respondents agreed with the proposed changes.
Several respondents raised concerns, or suggested changes to the proposals to address areas of perceived risk. Where appropriate we have incorporated these suggestions into our proposals.
Please refer to the consultation outcome document for further information: Consultation Outcome (PDF, 509KB, 27 pages)
Implementation date
The Gazette notice has been published and is available on the gazette website. These changes will come into force on 1 February 2026.
Enquiries
For any questions about this consultation, please email: medicinescontrol@health.govt.nz
