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Policy brief · ADHD Advocacy Georgia · October 2026

ADHD care in Georgia: the gap with Europe, and seven steps to close it

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About 6 in every 100 children and 2 to 3 in every 100 adults have ADHD; in Georgia that would be about 100,000 people.1 The medicines recommended first in European guidelines are not available,2,3 there is no national clinical guideline, specialists work mostly in Tbilisi, and families pay for care themselves.4 Seven practical steps, each already used in other countries, would bring care in line with Europe.

The situation

  • No stimulant ADHD medicine is registered in Georgia. Only atomoxetine is sold, and it is often out of stock.3
  • Methylphenidate is available on prescription in every EU country and in the UK, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.5,2,6,7,8
  • Georgian law classes methylphenidate and amphetamines as narcotic drugs. In 2026, a tourist carrying prescribed medicine without the right documents was charged with smuggling.9,10
  • There is no national ADHD guideline, most specialists work in Tbilisi, and therapy is not covered by insurance.4
  • The Public Defender has found too few inclusive education specialists in the regions.11
Map of Europe: where methylphenidate is available on prescriptionRussia: methylphenidate not availableUnited Kingdom: methylphenidate available on prescriptionUkraine: methylphenidate available on prescriptionTurkey: methylphenidate available on prescriptionSwitzerland: methylphenidate available on prescriptionSweden: methylphenidate available on prescriptionSpain: methylphenidate available on prescriptionSlovakia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionSlovenia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionRomania: methylphenidate available on prescriptionPortugal: methylphenidate available on prescriptionPoland: methylphenidate available on prescriptionNorway: methylphenidate available on prescriptionNetherlands: methylphenidate available on prescriptionMalta: methylphenidate available on prescriptionLuxembourg: methylphenidate available on prescriptionLithuania: methylphenidate available on prescriptionLatvia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionItaly: methylphenidate available on prescriptionIreland: methylphenidate available on prescriptionIceland: methylphenidate available on prescriptionHungary: methylphenidate available on prescriptionGreece: methylphenidate available on prescriptionGermany: methylphenidate available on prescriptionFrance: methylphenidate available on prescriptionFinland: methylphenidate available on prescriptionEstonia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionDenmark: methylphenidate available on prescriptionCzechia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionCyprus: methylphenidate available on prescriptionCroatia: methylphenidate available on prescriptionBulgaria: methylphenidate available on prescriptionBelgium: methylphenidate available on prescriptionAzerbaijan: methylphenidate not availableAustria: methylphenidate available on prescriptionGeorgia: methylphenidate not available
  • Methylphenidate available on prescription
  • Not available

Seven steps

  1. Register methylphenidate, at least one short- and one long-acting form, for children and adults, as the Maldives did in 2026.12
  2. Allow controlled prescribing with close monitoring, as in Germany.13 Under UN rules these are controlled medicines, not banned drugs.14
  3. Publish a national clinical guideline for children and adults, building on NICE and AWMF.2,15
  4. Train specialists and family doctors outside Tbilisi, and cover assessment and treatment in state health programmes.16
  5. Support students: teacher training, individual learning plans and fair exam adjustments.17
  6. Publish clear rules for travellers, and a legal way for residents to get treatment until medicines are registered.18
  7. Collect data and involve families in planning services, as Australia's parliamentary inquiry recommended.19

Georgia's commitments

  • The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in force in Georgia since 2014, covers the right to health care and to inclusive education.20
  • Council of Europe Resolution 2042 asks member states to train doctors in ADHD, diagnose following guidelines, and offer full treatment.21
  • Georgia has been a candidate to join the European Union since December 2023.22

ADHD Advocacy Georgia · info@adhd.advocacy.ge · adhd.advocacy.ge

Where this information comes from

  1. 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.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK). NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (2018, updated 2019).
  3. "ADHD in Georgia." adhd.ge, an independent volunteer site. Includes the Ministry of Health's reply of February 2023. Last updated 9 July 2026.
  4. Radio Tavisupleba (13 June 2026). "It helps you live but causes trouble with the law: what happens if ADHD medicine is found on you?" (in Georgian; title translated). RFE/RL.
  5. European Medicines Agency (2009). "European Medicines Agency makes recommendations for safer use of Ritalin and other methylphenidate-containing medicines in the EU."
  6. Swissmedic (2012). "Swissmedic concludes the review of methylphenidate products."
  7. Öner, Ö. et al. (2017). "ADHD Medication Trends in Turkey: 2009–2013." Journal of Attention Disorders.
  8. Likicontrol, Ukraine. "Concerta: instructions for use," registration UA/14199/01/03 (in Ukrainian).
  9. Parliament of Georgia (2013). Law No. 845-რს amending the Law "On Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, Precursors and Narcological Assistance", Annex 2 (in Georgian). Legislative Herald of Georgia.
  10. OC Media (June 2026). "Canadian tourist arrested in Georgia for having ADHD medication released after hefty fine."
  11. European Network of Ombudsmen (17 December 2025). "Conference on Preschool, Inclusive and General Education": statement by the Public Defender of Georgia.
  12. 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."
  13. Federal Republic of Germany. Narcotics Act (Betäubungsmittelgesetz), Annex III: narcotics that may be marketed and prescribed (in German).
  14. International Narcotics Control Board. Green List: psychotropic substances under international control (Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971).
  15. AWMF (Germany). S3 guideline 028-045: ADHD in children, adolescents and adults (in German).
  16. NHS England (November 2025). "NHS England responds to ADHD Taskforce final report."
  17. Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia (12 February 2024). Order No. 25/ნ amending Order No. 16/ნ of 21 February 2018 on inclusive education and identifying students with special educational needs (in Georgian).
  18. Revenue Service of Georgia. Prohibited and Permitted Medicaments (customs leaflet, PDF).
  19. The Conversation (November 2023). "A Senate inquiry says Australia needs a national ADHD framework to improve diagnosis and reduce costs."
  20. Government of Georgia. Initial report of Georgia to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD/C/GEO/1). United Nations.
  21. Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2015). Resolution 2042: Ensuring comprehensive treatment for children with attention disorders.
  22. Council of the European Union. "Georgia": candidate status granted December 2023.