Adult ADHD treatment · New Zealand

Your options for ADHD medication after a diagnosis in New Zealand.

Our NZ medication pathway includes an initial video appointment and three phone reviews for NZ$449. Once stable, you can discuss GP handover or optional ongoing care at NZ$29 a month. Medication is charged separately.

ADHD Simple New Zealand · Treatment information

Book your prescriber call

Check current appointments · Fees shown before booking · Medication charged separately.

Read patient reviews →

The four routes at a glance
Typical, not quotes

Route

Wait

Cost

Public ADHD service

Ask service

If eligible

GP care

Ask GP

Fees vary

Private psychiatrist

Ask clinic

Per review

Online ADHD clinic

Where ADHD Simple sits

Check dates

NZ$449 + $29/m

Compare treatment, titration and ongoing care below.

1 · What good treatment involves

Whichever route you take, safe ADHD treatment follows the same five steps.

Your prescriber agrees a plan around your health, symptoms and treatment goals. These steps explain what to discuss before starting medication.

1
Health checks

Before you start. Blood pressure, pulse, weight and your medical history, before any prescription.

2
Start low

Day one. A low starting dose, chosen with you, with clear advice on what to look out for.

3
Adjust & review

Every few weeks. Regular reviews of how it’s working and any side effects, adjusting the dose step by step.

4
A settled dose

Usually within months. The lowest dose that works well for you, agreed together.

5
Ongoing care

For as long as treatment continues: repeat prescriptions, health checks and regular ongoing clinical reviews.

Steps 2 to 4 · Finding your dose

Start low. Adjust slowly. Stop at the dose that works.

Your right dose

Baseline

Checks

Before

Low dose

Start

Week 0

Adjust

Review

Weeks later

Adjust

Review

Weeks later

Right dose

Settled

Usually months

Each review looks at how you feel, side effects, sleep and appetite, blood pressure and pulse. The question to ask any provider: how often are reviews, and what does each one cost?

Swipe the chart to see every stage. Each review looks at how you feel, side effects, sleep and appetite, blood pressure and pulse. The question to ask any provider: how often are reviews, and what does each one cost?

Step 5 · Once you’re stable

The same loop, for as long as you need it.

1 · Check in

How it’s working, side effects, BP

4 · Medication

Collected or delivered

Regular

reviews

2 · Review

A prescriber looks over it

3 · Prescription

Issued before you run out

Regular ongoing reviews help check that treatment still suits you. Ask who prescribes long term and what happens if your GP cannot take over.

2 · Titration, explained

Finding the right dose takes careful review. Here’s what happens.

Titration means starting on a low dose and adjusting it step by step, until the benefits are clear and any side effects are manageable. It’s the same whoever prescribes.

Your treatment plan

Titration, explained

Start low, review the benefits and side effects, then adjust with your prescriber until the treatment suits you.

Your prescriber explains each step and answers your questions.

What happens

At each review

A short call or check-in: focus, mood, sleep and appetite.

Any side effects, and how bad they are.

Blood pressure and pulse, and weight over time.

Then a decision together: stay, go up, go down, or try something else.

Weeks, sometimes months

How long

Your prescriber agrees the timing of reviews with you.

Many people settle within a few weeks; some need longer.

Needing more reviews, or a different medicine, is normal.

What the right dose feels like

The goal

Not a different person: more like you on a good day.

Easier to start things, finish them and keep track.

Side effects you can live with, or none at all.

Short-acting, long-acting or non-stimulant?

The type of medication shapes your day. Here’s how each one covers it.

7am

10am

1pm

4pm

7pm

10pm

Short-acting

Shorter coverage may require more than one dose. Timing and duration depend on the medicine and your prescription.

Dose 1

Dose 2

Dose 3

Flexible: you can cover just the hours you need, like a working day or an evening.

Long-acting

Designed to release medication over a longer period. Your prescriber explains when to take it and how long its effect may last.

One morning dose

Simple: one dose, steadier through the day, nothing to remember at lunchtime.

Non-stimulant

Taken regularly as prescribed. Some non-stimulants take several weeks to show their full effect.

All day, every day

An option if stimulants don’t suit you, or alongside other health conditions.

Your prescriber helps you choose based on your health, daily routine and previous treatment. Effects and duration vary by medicine and person; follow your own prescription instructions.

Common early on

Often eases within a few weeks. Mention it at your review.

Less appetite

Trouble sleeping

Headaches

Feeling jittery

Feeling flat

Get help straight away

For severe symptoms or immediate danger, call 111. Seek prompt medical advice about:

Chest pain

A racing or irregular heartbeat

Fainting

Feeling very low or not yourself

Common worries, answered

“Will it change my personality?”

At the right dose, most people say they feel more like themselves. Feeling flat or not yourself is a sign the dose needs adjusting, so tell your prescriber.

“Is it addictive?”

Prescribed at the right dose and monitored, the risk is low. Your prescriber checks for it at every stage, so tell them about any history of substance use.

“Will I have to take it forever?”

No. Some people take it for years, some for a while. Any change is planned with your prescriber, never stopped suddenly on your own.

“What if it doesn’t work?”

Then you try a different dose or medicine. Most people find something that helps, but it can take a few goes.

Discuss medication benefits, side effects and any concerns with your prescriber. This guide does not replace your individual treatment plan.

3 · Your routes in New Zealand

Four ways to get treated. Side by side.

Subject to eligibility

Public adult ADHD service

Time to start

Check local availability

Typical cost

Subject to eligibility

Specialist involved

Yes

Prescribes long term

Usually your GP

If your GP says no

Stay with the service

Best if

Ask your GP about local public services, eligibility and available ADHD care.

Local practice

Your GP or nurse practitioner

Time to start

Ask your practice

Typical cost

GP and pharmacy fees

Specialist involved

Within scope

Prescribes long term

Your GP

If your GP says no

Discuss another prescriber

Best if

Your practice offers appropriate ADHD care

Pay per visit

Private psychiatrist

Time to start

Check local availability

Typical cost

Confirm current fees with the provider

Specialist involved

Yes

Prescribes long term

Same psychiatrist

If your GP says no

Keep paying per visit

Best if

You want one specialist and budget is no issue

From home

Online ADHD clinic

Time to start

Check local availability

Typical cost

Bundle + monthly

Specialist involved

Check

Prescribes long term

The clinic, or your GP

If your GP says no

Varies: ask

Best if

You want to start soon at a known price

Compare current NZ availability and fees directly with each service.

Book your prescriber call

Check current appointments · Fees shown before booking · Medication charged separately.

Read patient reviews →

4 · GP handover, explained

GP handover: how it works and what to ask.

Once your treatment is stable, you can discuss transferring care to your GP. GP involvement and medication funding are separate questions: ask about both before choosing a pathway.

An appropriate clinician assesses you

In New Zealand, psychiatrists, suitably qualified nurse practitioners and specialist GPs can assess adult ADHD and initiate treatment within their scope.

Your prescriber finds your dose

During stabilisation, your prescriber reviews benefits, side effects and health readings, then adjusts your treatment when needed.

They ask your GP

A shared-care request sets out your diagnosis, settled dose and the monitoring your GP would take on.

Your GP decides

If your GP agrees, they can manage prescribing and monitoring under an agreed plan. Ask about appointment fees, prescription charges and regular ongoing reviews.

No: your specialist keeps prescribing privately, and you keep paying for reviews and medication.

What GP handover is

An agreed plan for transferring prescribing and monitoring to your GP.

A plan for who prescribes, monitors your health and arranges ongoing reviews.

Something that starts once you’re on a stable dose.

Ongoing: your care team agrees regular reviews and how to access help.

What it isn’t

Automatic, or a right. GPs can’t be made to agree.

A substitute for the checks and reviews you need while finding your dose.

A guarantee that every practice offers the same ADHD services.

Guaranteed to carry over if you move to a new GP practice.

Why some GPs say no

It’s voluntary

Not every GP or practice offers ADHD assessment, initiation or ongoing care. Ask your own practice about its services.

Practice capacity

Prescribing and monitoring need clinical time and a clear care plan. Availability differs between practices.

Medication costs

Funding depends on the medication and Pharmac criteria. Ask your prescriber and pharmacy about your eligibility and costs.

Scope and experience

Clinicians work within their qualifications and scope. Your GP may recommend a different prescriber for your needs.

At ADHD Simple

GP care

Discuss handover with your own practice.

Your GP decides whether they can take over your prescribing and monitoring.

If your GP says no

Ask your current prescriber about continuing care and its fees. You should have a clear plan for prescriptions, monitoring and regular reviews before transferring.

With us: nothing changes. NZ$29 a month, plus medication. Medication is charged separately. Costs depend on the medicine, dose and dispensing pharmacy.

Ask before you go private

Ring your practice and ask: “Do you accept ADHD GP handover with private providers?” Their answer now tells you what your long-term costs are likely to be.

New Zealand prescribing information: Ministry of Health adult ADHD prescribing changes, effective 1 February 2026. Medication funding: Pharmac Special Authority criteria.

5 · The real cost

Compare clinic fees and medication separately.

A low assessment price gets you in the door. The monthly fees and medication are where the money goes, and treatment runs for years. Compare year three, not week one.

Clinic fees over three years; medication separate

Other clinic: confirm all fees

Year 1

Quote required

Year 2

Quote required

Year 3

Quote required

ADHD Simple

Year 1

NZ$1,509*

Year 2

NZ$1,857*

Year 3

NZ$2,205*

*Clinic-fee illustration: NZ$799 assessment + NZ$449 initial treatment + NZ$29 × 9 ongoing-care months = NZ$1,509 in year one; adding NZ$348 per subsequent year gives NZ$1,857 over two years and NZ$2,205 over three. Nine ongoing-care months is an example, not a promised stabilisation time. Extra titration reviews are NZ$79; extra ongoing calls are NZ$29. Medication and pharmacy charges are separate. Ask other providers for a full quote before comparing totals.

Finding your dose

Every month after

If your GP says no

Private psychiatrist

Pay per visit

NZ$?

Each review billed

NZ$?

…

Private prescriptions and reviews

Keep paying per visit

Often the biggest cost over time

Public service

Free, after the wait

Subject to eligibility

Once you reach the front of the list

Prescription charges

Funding eligibility and pharmacy charges vary.

Back to the specialist service

And its waiting list

Fixed-price clinic

Known up front

One bundle

Start

First call + reviews

Flat monthly

Ask for current fees and what is included.

Same monthly

Ask before you join

Medication itself is charged separately on every private route. Ask each provider for a price per month at your likely dose.

The eight questions to ask

How titration works

For adults in New Zealand. Medication is prescribed only when clinically appropriate. In an emergency, call 111.

Book your prescriber call

Check current appointments · Fees shown before booking · Medication charged separately.

Read patient reviews →

6 · Questions to ask

Ask any provider these eight.

“How soon is my first prescriber appointment?”

A diagnosis without a prescriber is another waiting list.

“Will you accept my diagnosis?”

Some clinics only treat people they assessed. Others review an outside report first.

“How often are reviews while I find my dose, and what does each cost?”

Titration is where pay-per-visit costs add up.

“How do I check in between reviews, and how quickly do you reply?”

Good care doesn’t wait for the next appointment. Ask how you report side effects, request a script or reach someone.

“Who prescribes once I’m stable?”

The clinic, your GP, or both. Get it in writing.

“What happens if my GP says no to GP handover?”

GPs can decline. Ask what it costs to stay.

“How do I get repeat prescriptions, and how fast does medication arrive?”

Running out is the most common reason treatment stops.

“Can I leave and come back, and what does that cost?”

Life changes. Check the exit and the way back.

7 · Which suits you

Three taps to your best-fit route to treatment.

How soon do you want to start treatment?

What matters most on cost?

Who do you want prescribing long term?

YOUR BEST FIT

Answer 3 quick questions to see which route lines up with what matters to you.

Common questions

Once you’ve chosen a route

If an online clinic suits you, you can see how ADHD Simple answers the eight questions, with prices and next dates, on a separate page.

Book your prescriber call

Check current appointments · Fees shown before booking · Medication charged separately.

Read patient reviews →

General information only, not medical advice. Waits and costs are indicative ranges and vary between providers and areas. Medication is only prescribed if clinically appropriate.

Not diagnosed yet? Compare NZ assessment options →