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Any moves to free up access to medication for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) must be balanced with ensuring patient safety and preventing drugs ending up on the black market, psychiatrists warn.
A recent University of Otago study showed a tenfold increase in the amount of ADHD medication dispensed for adults between 2006 and 2022.
However, only about one in five people with ADHD are currently receiving treatment for the condition, which is estimated to affect more than 250,000 New Zealanders.
Some-time actor, marketing executive, blogger, photographer and business owner Julie Legg said her ADHD diagnosis at the age of 52 has helped her make sense of her life.
Her restless mind, low boredom threshold and constant need for excitement caused "a few bumps in the road" for her career and relationships, she said.
"In a sink-or-swim environment, I learned to dog-paddle very quickly. But if there was a guide or some treatment or assistance along the way, that certainly would have helped me."
Photo: Supplied
Clinical psychologists can diagnose ADHD, but only psychiatrists (or in the case of children, paediatricians) can endorse the use of stimulants to treat it.
Furthermore, patients are c
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