How telehealth is fuelling a surge in ADHD scripts in a business model that benefits the rich
A new analysis reveals a significant surge in ADHD stimulant prescriptions linked to telehealth consultations in Australia since 2022. The report suggests that this trend commoditizes mental health care and disproportionately benefits affluent urban psychiatrists while increasing costs for patients.
Why it matters
It highlights potential systemic issues in digital healthcare delivery, raising concerns about over-prescription and the equity of access to mental health services.
We’d be concerned if similar issues we’ve flagged in telepsychiatry were seen in general practice. That is, an increase in commoditisation of ADHD care.
Seeing a psychiatrist via telehealth became easier from January 2022 . That’s when Medicare-reimbursed telepsychiatry arrangements became permanent.
The idea was for these video and phone consultations to provide more flexible and sooner appointment times, without needing to travel.
But our new analysis shows what happened next.
We show how telepsychiatry became dominated by consultations for stimulant prescriptions since 2022. These were mostly for people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.
Telepsychiatry for ADHD specifically did increase access for people living in rural and remote areas. But it was more likely to be provided by psychiatrists living in more affluent major towns and cities.
These types of ADHD telepsychiatry appointments are also associated with greater out-of-pocket costs than the equivalent face-to-face appointments.
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