New data shows sharp rise in adult ADHD medication use

The proportion of Australian adults being treated for Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased more than six-fold since 2017, new analysis by UNSW Sydney researchers shows.  

The analysis found 2.36% of Australian adults were taking ADHD medicines as of 2025, up from 0.35% in the 2016 -17 financial year. The research was led by Dr Malcolm Gillies, Professor Sallie Pearson and Associate Professor Michael Falster in the Medicines Intelligence Research Program, in the School of Population Health.

The data, which underpins a new ABC Four Corners investigation into rising ADHD rates among adults, found medicine use was unevenly spread across regions and demographics. Women are now more likely than men to take ADHD medicines, as were younger generations compared with older age groups.  

“We found significant variations across the country, even within states and cities, there is this gulf between areas,” said A/Prof. Falster.

Medicine use was highest in Fremantle and Cottesloe in Western Australia, with ADHD prescriptions dispensed to 4.4% and 4.1% of adults respectively, in the 2023 -24 financial year – the latest for which neighbourhood-level data is available. The national rate that year was 1.8%.

Western Australia had 13 of the nation’s top 20 neighbourhoods for prescriptions that year but also recorded rates as low at 1% in the Kimberly and East Pilbara regions. 

Separate expert commentary cited by the ABC suggests the national prevalence of ADHD in adults is between 2.5 and 3%.

ADHD rates were also elevated in inner Melbourne’s Brunswick - Coburg (3.9%), Darebin – South (3.8%) and Yarra (3.3%) regions, as well as in the Blue Mountains (3.5%) and the inner west Sydney suburbs of Marrickville, Sydenham and Petersham (3.4%). 

By comparison, the rate of ADHD medicine dispensing in the two cities reached as low as 0.5% in Tullamarine – Broadmeadows region in Melbourne’s north west, and 0.3% in Fairfield in Sydney’s south west.

Higher rates of adult ADHD medicine use were more often observed in more advantaged, inner‑city and coastal areas, though this pattern was not uniform. The data shows variation across regions, suggesting local factors play an important role in shaping access to and use of treatment.

The analysis is based on subsidised Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (RPBS) prescription data held by the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).

It includes adults aged 20 to 64 as of 1 January, who filled at least one prescription for one of five ADHD medications – dexamfetamine, methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine, atomoxetine and guanfacine – during the financial year. 

Targeting gaps in access and care

A/Prof. Falster was struck by the very low uptake of ADHD medication in some regions, which he said suggests financial and health system barriers may be preventing people from accessing the care they need.

“In areas like south west Sydney, where the rate is so much lower, there is probably a good chance people can’t access the support they need,” A/Prof. Falster said.

“To get an ADHD diagnosis and treatment you need to be able to afford the assessment, to have access to the right services and then be able to get into a specialist who can prescribe you with medication.”

A/Prof. Falster hopes the data can be used by policy makers and health services to better target regions where people may need more support to recognise ADHD and access appropriate treatment. At the same time, identifying areas with higher levels of medicine use creates an opportunity for closer examination of local patterns of care.

Linking national data at speed 

While PBS data has long been used in health research, the ability to securely link and analyse it at a national, person‑level scale, and to do so quickly, has historically been limited.

Approvals and data access processes previously meant large scale analyses could take months or even years to complete, often missing the window where evidence could meaningfully inform public debate, said Prof. Pearson, Head of the Medicines Intelligence Research Program. Instead, this latest project took weeks.

“By enabling secure, timely access to linked, anonymised national data, PLIDA has fundamentally transformed what is possible for public interest research. It allows researchers to be responsive and rigorous, supporting evidence informed conversations when they matter most,” Prof. Pearson said.

“These are exactly the kinds of questions that matter for public discourse and informed policy debate,” she said of the analysis.