Start with the active ingredient and the exact formulation on the pack. This guide introduces common medicine names and points you to their Australian consumer information.
Draft · Clinical review pending
Prepared by ADHD Rules with AI-assisted source research on 26 September 2026. No pharmacist or prescribing clinician has approved this guide yet. It is not a treatment recommendation or a complete safety reference. Use the linked Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) and your clinician’s advice for your own care.
Names you may hear
Brand examples help you recognise a medicine; they are not endorsements or a complete list. Availability, approved ages and subsidy rules are product-specific.
Stimulant
Methylphenidate
Examples include Ritalin; other brands and release forms differ.
Used for ADHD symptoms such as difficulties with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity. Available in different release formulations; the name of the ingredient alone does not identify the duration or how to take it.
Discuss at review: Appetite, sleep, weight and cardiovascular effects are points to discuss. Ask about growth monitoring for children and the exact instructions for your product.
Also called dexamphetamine. Example: Aspen Dexamfetamine.
A central nervous system stimulant used for ADHD. It is a different active ingredient from methylphenidate. A similar-sounding medicine name is not a dose conversion or a substitution instruction.
Discuss at review: Discuss appetite, sleep, mood and cardiovascular effects, as well as other medicines you take. Ask your pharmacist to confirm the formulation and instructions.
The body converts lisdexamfetamine into dexamphetamine. The consumer information describes improved attention and reduced impulsiveness and hyperactivity in ADHD. It is not interchangeable with dexamfetamine milligram for milligram.
Discuss at review: Reduced appetite, difficulty sleeping, headache and dry mouth can occur. The CMI also contains serious-effect warnings. Discuss your health history and monitoring with your prescriber.
Example: APO-Atomoxetine; check the brand on your pack.
An ADHD medicine that acts differently from stimulants. Ask your clinician how long to allow before reviewing benefit, and how progress will be assessed; a first-day impression is not a complete treatment review.
Discuss at review: Read the CMI’s warnings about mood or behaviour changes, liver problems and blood pressure or heart rate. Ask which symptoms need prompt medical attention.
Intuniv’s Australian consumer information describes ADHD treatment in children and adolescents aged 6–17. This does not establish an adult indication. Ask the prescriber whether any proposed use is within the approved product information.
Discuss at review: Sleepiness, dizziness and lowered blood pressure or heart rate matter for monitoring. Sudden discontinuation can increase blood pressure; changes need a prescriber’s plan.
Example: Catapres. Product indications must be checked.
Clonidine may arise in ADHD care discussions, but Catapres is not an approved ADHD treatment. Off-label use needs an individual clinical explanation of the evidence, risks and alternatives.
Discuss at review: The CMI includes warnings about sleepiness, blood pressure and stopping suddenly, and about use with methylphenidate in children with ADHD. Discuss these directly with the prescriber; this guide does not recommend the combination.
Stimulant and non-stimulant medicines affect signalling in the brain in different ways. Their effects and side effects vary between people. A medicine described as “best” in someone else’s story may not suit your circumstances. Healthdirect explains the main groups.
Release form and timing
Short-acting and modified-release products have different instructions. Ask how soon a benefit might be noticed, how long your formulation is intended to act, and when to review it. We do not give a universal hours-of-coverage chart: the product and your response matter. Do not crush, open, swap or change a product based on a general comparison.
Approval, prescribing permission and subsidy
These are different questions: what uses are in the product information, whether the practitioner can prescribe in your jurisdiction, and whether your circumstances meet PBS subsidy criteria. A medicine appearing here confirms none of these for an individual. NSW Health explains the distinction between state approval and PBS authority.
Five questions for your prescriber
What benefit are we aiming for, and how will we recognise it?
Why this ingredient and formulation for my circumstances?
Is the proposed use within the approved product information for my age?
Which side effects need prompt help, and what monitoring do I need?
When is the review, and who do I contact before then?
Read the full CMI for your pack, including interactions, pregnancy, driving and serious side effects. Tell your prescriber and pharmacist about other medicines and supplements. Ask them before starting, stopping or changing treatment.
In an emergency call 000. For suspected overdose, call the Australian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26; do not wait for symptoms. Healthdirect safety guidance ↗
For supply questions, check the TGA medicine shortages database and speak to a pharmacist. A national shortage notice does not show stock at an individual pharmacy.