The proportion of people diagnosed with and treated for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is growing. Prescription rates have increased 11-fold in 20 years.

But the growth isn’t uniform across the country. This week, ABC’s Four Corners found higher rates of ADHD prescribing in some regions, while other areas were much lower, suggesting ADHD was being missed.

Previously, only paediatricians or psychiatrists could diagnose and start treatment for ADHD. But in most states and territories, GPs can or will soon be able to do this as well.

This is a welcome step to improve access to care, reduce wait times and cut the number of missed diagnoses. But as we show our new paper in the Internal Medicine Journal, we need better safeguards to prevent overdiagnosis.

Read more: More GPs will be able to diagnose and treat ADHD – and experts say it’s a positive step

Where diagnosis can go wrong

It’s important GPs are adequately trained and have appropriate time to make the right diagnosis. They also need clear pathways to refer more complicated cases to specialists.

But changes to enable GPs to diagnose and treat ADHD haven’t been standardised across the country. Each state and territory has its own rules and has different requirements about the level of training GPs need.

In Queensland, currently GPs can start and continue ADHD treatment for adults and children aged four and over. In Victoria, a GP can’t currently prescribe stimulant medications without specialist involvement. But this will change later this year.

There is no requirement in Queensland to complete specific training modules, while training requirements vary in other states.

This lack of a uniformity risks creating........

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