CCHR Australia has obtained from the Australian Government the numbers of Australian children and adults on psychiatric drugs by age, drug and state funded on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for various years since 2007. The first figures were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act in 2007, then they were provided free twice by the Federal Government. Since 2014 it has cost thousands of dollars to obtain the statistics.

They are provided here for your use by CCHR. These figures should be completely transparent and published yearly so that the public have access to them. No-one should have to request them or pay for them. The figures obtained by CCHR are very easy to use. See the first table for the age breakup for the class of drug by age and State, and then the following table is the breakup by each drug in the class.

Also published below are some statistics that others have originally requested or that the government have published and a link on where to obtain the numbers of prescriptions of psychiatric drugs.

• The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) publish the numbers of prescriptions of psychiatric drugs. They collect and analyse data from federal, state and territory government agencies. Download the Excel spreadsheet under the blue map of Australia here. Other information such as expenditure on mental health, use of restraint and seclusion can also be obtained via this same link.
  
• 2022: Numbers of prescriptions of drugs prescribed for ADHD and costs for 2018 to 2022 , in 2023 a Freedom of Information Request (FOI)was lodged with the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing. This resulted in the figures being obtained from a “departmental briefing note” prepared for the Department’s appearance before the Senate Inquiry into ADHD. It is not known who lodged the FOI request. Download
• 2020: Numbers of children on drugs for ADHD, in 2021, the Services Australia prescription data base was used to provide the number of children on drugs for ADHD to a committee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Download
• 2019: Numbers of Children on Antidepressants: in 2021, Australia’s drug regulatory agency conducted a safety investigation into the link between the risk of suicide in children and youth and antidepressants. Their report includes the numbers of children on antidepressants by age groups. See pages 48 and 50.
• 2019: Numbers on ADHD drugs obtained by paid request from Services Australia. Download.
• 2019: Numbers on antipsychotics obtained by paid request from Services Australia. Download.
• 2019: Evidence of cost for ADHD drugs, antipsychotics and antidepressants. Download.
• 2002-03 to 2017-18: Numbers on antidepressants obtained from Department of Health (originally supplied to media). Download.
• 2002-03 to 2017-18: Percentage of people prescribed antidepressants obtained from Department of Health (originally supplied to media). Download.
• 2013 to 2017: Numbers on ADHD drugs supplied by Department of Human Services to a Federal Government committee. Download.
• 2015: Numbers on antipsychotics obtained by paid request from Department of Human Services. Download.
• 2015: Numbers on antidepressants obtained by paid request from Department of Human Services. Download.
• 2015: Numbers on ADHD drugs obtained by paid request from Department of Human Services. Download.
• 2015: Evidence of cost for ADHD drugs, antidepressants and antipsychotics. Download.
• 2012/13 Evidence of cost figures for ADHD drugs, antidepressants and antipsychotics. Download.
• 2013 ADHD Drugs, 2012/13 antidepressants and antipsychotics obtained at a cost of $3,548.95 from the Department of Human Services. Download.
• 2008/09 & 2009/10: Numbers on antipsychotics obtained by request from Department of Health and Ageing at no charge. Download.
• 2008/09 & 2009/10: Numbers on antidepressants obtained by request from Department of Health and Ageing at no charge. Download.
• 2008, 2009 & 2010: Numbers on ADHD drugs obtained by request to Department of Health and Ageing at no charge. Download.
• 2007/08: Numbers on antipsychotics obtained by request to Department of Health and Ageing at no charge. Download.
• 2007/08: Numbers on antidepressants obtained by request to Department of Health and Ageing at no charge. Download.
• 2007: Numbers on ADHD Drugs in 2007 obtained under the Freedom of Information Act from the Department of Health and Ageing at a cost of $279.65.
  Download Part 1 of numbers on ADHD drugs in 2007.
  Download Part 2 of Numbers on ADHD drugs in 2007.

Numbers of prescriptions for ADHD subsidised drugs by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

CCHR also once a year collates the numbers of prescriptions for ADHD drugs subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for all ages from the Medicare website.

These do not include all the private prescriptions. Download: ADHD Stats 1 January 1992 – 30 June 2022

Note: The information enclosed in these documents is not intended to supplement medical advice or be used to guide medical decisions. No one should stop taking any psychiatric drug without the advice and assistance of a competent medical doctor.