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How other countries do it

How ADHD care in Georgia compares with other countries, what international organisations say, and what other countries have changed recently.

In short

  • Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) is available on prescription in every EU country.1
  • In Germany, the UK and the US, these medicines are strictly controlled, but doctors can prescribe them.2,3,4
  • The UN treats them as controlled medicines, not banned drugs.5

Last checked: 16 October 2026

Side by side

Topic Georgia Germany (EU) United Kingdom United States
Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) Not available6 On a special prescription2 First choice for children 5 and over3 Available, strictly controlled4
Amphetamine-based medicines (Elvanse, Adderall) Not available6 On a special prescription2 A first choice for adults3 Available, strictly controlled4
Other ADHD medicines Atomoxetine only, often out of stock6 Atomoxetine, guanfacine7 Atomoxetine, guanfacine3 Atomoxetine, guanfacine, clonidine8
National guideline for doctors None Yes, for children and adults7 Yes, for children and adults3 Yes, for children8
Support at school System exists; differs between schools9 Available; differs between regions Yes, with legal protection10 Yes, ADHD named in the law11

✓ yes · ~ partly · ✕ no

In all of these countries, ADHD stimulant medicines are controlled by law. Doctors must follow special rules to prescribe them, but patients can get them.2,4 In Georgia, none of these medicines is registered, so they cannot be prescribed.6

Neighbouring countries

In Turkey, methylphenidate is prescribed. Between 2009 and 2013, long-acting methylphenidate made up almost 3 in 4 of all ADHD medicine used there.12

What international organisations say

United Nations
Under the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, methylphenidate and amphetamine are controlled substances with recognised medical use.5 Georgia has also signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which includes the right to health care and to inclusive education.13
European Union
The European Medicines Agency says methylphenidate is available in all EU countries.1
Council of Europe
In 2015, the Council of Europe asked its member states, including Georgia, to train doctors in ADHD, to diagnose it carefully following guidelines, and to offer full treatment combining medical, behavioural and educational help. It also warned that unequal access to care leads to under-treatment. For children, it advised using stimulant medicines only as a last resort, always together with other support.14
World Health Organization
The WHO lists ADHD as a medical condition.15 Methylphenidate is not on the WHO's list of essential medicines, which is a minimum list mainly for countries with limited health budgets. Requests to add it were turned down in 2019, 2021 and 2025 because of doubts about the evidence.16 It is still approved by medicine regulators in the EU, the UK and the US.1,3,4

Recent changes in other countries

Maldives, 2026
Methylphenidate had been banned. In May 2026, parliament removed it from the list of banned drugs, and a presidential decree made it available as a main treatment for ADHD.17
Australia, 2023
A parliamentary inquiry made 15 recommendations, mainly a national ADHD plan developed together with people who have ADHD.18,19
England, 2025
A national ADHD taskforce recommended faster diagnosis, more training, and a bigger role for family doctors.20
Canada
ADHD organisations asked every province to treat ADHD as a learning risk in schools.21

Guidelines for doctors

Detailed guidelines are published in the UK (NICE),3 Germany (AWMF),7 the US (American Academy of Pediatrics)8 and Canada (CADDRA).22 There is also a European guideline for adults23 and an international summary of the evidence by 80 experts from 27 countries.24

Where this information comes from

  1. European Medicines Agency (2009). "European Medicines Agency makes recommendations for safer use of Ritalin and other methylphenidate-containing medicines in the EU."
  2. Federal Republic of Germany. Narcotics Act (Betäubungsmittelgesetz), Annex III: narcotics that may be marketed and prescribed (in German).
  3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK). NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (2018, updated 2019).
  4. US Drug Enforcement Administration. "Drug scheduling."
  5. International Narcotics Control Board. Green List: psychotropic substances under international control (Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971).
  6. "ADHD in Georgia." adhd.ge, an independent volunteer site. Includes the Ministry of Health's reply of February 2023. Last updated 9 July 2026.
  7. AWMF (Germany). S3 guideline 028-045: ADHD in children, adolescents and adults (in German).
  8. Wolraich, M.L. et al. (2019). "Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of ADHD in Children and Adolescents." Pediatrics 144(4): e20192528.
  9. European Commission, Eurydice. "Georgia: separate special education needs provision in early childhood and school education."
  10. United Kingdom. Equality Act 2010, section 6 (definition of disability).
  11. US Department of Education. IDEA regulations, 34 CFR §300.8: "other health impairment" explicitly includes ADHD.
  12. Öner, Ö. et al. (2017). "ADHD Medication Trends in Turkey: 2009–2013." Journal of Attention Disorders.
  13. Government of Georgia. Initial report of Georgia to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD/C/GEO/1). United Nations.
  14. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2015). Resolution 2042: Ensuring comprehensive treatment for children with attention disorders.
  15. World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, code 6A05: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
  16. World Health Organization. eEML record: methylphenidate for ADHD (applications not accepted in 2019, 2021 and 2025).
  17. President's Office, Republic of Maldives (12 May 2026). "President issues decree amending the Drugs Act to facilitate the availability of methylphenidate for ADHD treatment."
  18. The Conversation (November 2023). "A Senate inquiry says Australia needs a national ADHD framework to improve diagnosis and reduce costs."
  19. ADHD Australia. "ADHD Australia welcomes Senate inquiry's report."
  20. NHS England (November 2025). "NHS England responds to ADHD Taskforce final report."
  21. Centre for ADHD Awareness, Canada (CADDAC). "Update on CADDAC's ADHD Right to Learn advocacy campaign."
  22. CADDRA. Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines.
  23. Kooij, J.J.S. et al. (2019). "Updated European Consensus Statement on diagnosis and treatment of adult ADHD." European Psychiatry 56: 14–34.
  24. Faraone, S.V. et al. (2021). "The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 128: 789–818.