Restricted pathway only
Where Western Australia sits on GP diagnosis and prescribing, as at 8 August 2026.
$467.45
Medicare rebate on item 92435, psychiatrist assessment by video. Same rebate in person. Once per 12 months.
~$1,400
What a private psychiatrist assessment commonly costs before the rebate.
Part 1 of 4
Can a GP diagnose ADHD in Western Australia?
Only a limited number of GPs can prescribe under a restricted pathway. Trained GPs began independent diagnosis and prescribing from early 2026 after a six-month co-management period, and the state government expects all 65 to complete training by August 2026.
A psychiatrist assessment by video is the reliable route for now, and it attracts the same Medicare rebate as in person. ADHD WA, the state support organisation, is worth knowing regardless of route.
Western Australia has a longstanding stimulant co-prescribing framework rather than a general GP route, and has not yet announced a Queensland style opening.
The national picture, including every other state and what changes next, lives in the GP diagnosis guide.
Part 2 of 4
The psychiatrist route, and why video changed it
A GP referral to a psychiatrist remains the standard route wherever the GP path is closed, and video assessment attracts the same Medicare rebate as in person: $467.45 on item 92435, claimable once every 12 months. Video means the psychiatrist does not have to be in your state at all.
The number that matters is not the clinic's headline fee but your gap after the rebate, and it swings by more than a thousand dollars between clinics billing the same item. Ask for the gap in writing before you book, ask the wait for the medication appointment rather than the first call, and check the assessing practitioner on the Ahpra register, all covered in the assessment section of our resources page.
A typical wait to see a psychiatrist is around twelve months, and clinics with short waits often charge accordingly. The cost guide walks the whole bill, including what happens after diagnosis.
Part 3 of 4
The official pages for Western Australia
Stimulants are Schedule 8 medicines, so the rules on who can prescribe them are state law, administered by the health department. These are the official pages, plus the organisations worth knowing here.
WA Department of Health: Schedule 8 stimulant medicines
The Western Australian rules on who may prescribe stimulants, including the co-prescribing arrangements.
- Free
- Government run
ADHD WA
The state ADHD organisation, one of the strongest in the country.
- Free
- Not-for-profit
Autism Association of Western Australia
The state autism organisation, including services it sells; read with that in mind.
- Free
- Not-for-profit
Curtin Psychology Clinic
A paid university teaching clinic. It is not accepting referrals for cognitive assessments until further notice, and ADHD assessment is not listed among its services; check the clinic page before relying on this route.
- Reduced fee
- University clinic
Part 4 of 4
If you are starting from zero today
Work out whether the traits fit, take that to a GP, choose the route this page describes, and budget from the gap, not the headline. None of it needs to happen in one week.
Start with the recognition tool if you are still working out whether to start at all; it sorts thirty-two experiences into ADHD flavoured, autistic flavoured and shared, and it is not a test. Then the resources directory holds the checked links for everything this page mentions: money help, medicine rules, work and study rights, and who to call in a bad week.
If both autism and ADHD are in question, read the AuDHD explainer before booking, and ask any assessor whether they cover both in one process.
The short version
Quick answers
Can a GP diagnose ADHD in Western Australia?
Only a limited number of GPs can prescribe under a restricted pathway. Trained GPs began independent diagnosis and prescribing from early 2026 after a six-month co-management period, and the state government expects all 65 to complete training by August 2026. A psychiatrist assessment by video is the reliable route for now, and it attracts the same Medicare rebate as in person. ADHD WA, the state support organisation, is worth knowing regardless of route.
How much does an ADHD assessment cost in Western Australia?
The psychiatrist route applies for most people: commonly about $1,400 before Medicare, $467.45 back on item 92435. Curtin's adult psychology clinic, linked on our resources page, has historically been the reduced fee option in Perth, but it is not accepting referrals for cognitive assessments until further notice.
Who sets the prescribing rules in Western Australia?
Stimulants are Schedule 8 medicines, so the state or territory health department controls who may prescribe them and under what authority. The official page is linked on this guide, and it is the authority when anything here has aged.