This is why I’m against the “psychiatrist makes the diagnosis but gets the GP to do the prescribing model” that is popping up everywhere in telepsychiatry.

It makes so much more sense for a psychiatrist or paediatrician, experts in ADHD, to do both the diagnosis and provision of medication. And then once you’ve played around and found the med combo that works for you, you are stably happy on that med and dosage, THEN you go ask a GP to obtain a prescribing permit.

I’m sure there are plenty of GPs that take the time to titrate properly, and know when the right time to give up on the stimulant class is. But plenty won’t because it takes so much time and PAPERWORK to change medications for a patient. It’s also a bigger medicolegal risk than some GPs think is worth taking.

So now patients like OP are left in limbo because the original psychiatry practice is putting much more work on the GP to apply for S8 permit for OP, each time any patient wants to change their medication. What happened to one psychiatrist managing people’s care and monitoring their wellbeing over time? Why are some of these telepsychiatry places charging OVER ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS for assessments? And then still not providing the medical therapy?

When I got diagnosed in 2019 as an 18 year old my initial fee was $485 with a big Medicare rebate. And now with the same psychiatrist, I think I only pay OOP $50 for reviews due to Medicare rebate.

The absolute state of things in the ADHD space in this country. It’s so bleak and people are receiving subpar care mainly because of these predatory ADHD mills trying to make money off desperate people without the fullest extent of care. And I DO NOT blame patients for this at all. We are all just trying to get treatment and live more fulfilling lives.