Key Takeaways
ADHD care in the Netherlands runs through a clear front door: the general practitioner, known locally as the huisarts. The huisarts is the first medical point of contact and decides on next steps, either by prescribing methylphenidate, a commonly used ADHD medication in the Netherlands that includes well-known brands such as Ritalin and Concerta, or by issuing a formal referral to an ADHD specialist for diagnosis and treatment. ADHDcentraal Amsterdam, a dedicated ADHD center for adults, echoes that structure. The clinic openly explains that patients should come through appropriate clinical channels, that contact is meant for urgent questions about treatment and appointments, and that missing an appointment triggers a firm no-show policy. It is a small snapshot of how Dutch mental healthcare tries to stay fast, contained, and accountable.
Story & Details
The Dutch Front Door to Care
In the Dutch system, healthcare is organized around the huisarts. The huisarts is described as the first point of contact for almost any non-emergency medical or mental health concern. Dutch public guidance explains that people are expected to start with this primary doctor, and that this doctor functions as a “gatekeeper” to the rest of the system (translated from Dutch and English source wording). The huisarts can treat straightforward problems directly, including mental health questions, and can also decide when it is time to involve hospital-based or specialty care. This referral step is not optional; it is structurally built into how care is accessed and reimbursed, and it prevents overloaded specialist clinics by filtering demand.
Multiple Dutch and international explainer resources aimed at residents and newcomers repeat the same rule in plain terms: it is not possible to walk straight into specialist care for a non-emergency. To see a specialist, including a psychiatrist or another ADHD-focused clinician, there must be a referral from the huisarts first. Only emergencies bypass that rule.
Prescription vs. Referral
The role of the huisarts extends beyond paperwork. Dutch clinical communication to patients states that methylphenidate is often used in the Netherlands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and that if the huisarts is willing to take on the case, this doctor can prescribe it directly. The same communication also makes the alternative explicit: if that primary doctor chooses not to prescribe stimulant medication, the doctor can write a referral to a medical specialist who is specifically focused on ADHD care.
That split — either immediate prescribing in primary care, or referral onward — is an important detail. It shows that ADHD medication is not sealed behind a wall of secondary care by default. Instead, the decision lives with the huisarts, who can either continue to manage the patient personally or escalate to a dedicated ADHD team.
Methylphenidate’s Place in Dutch ADHD Care
Dutch public health reporting and national institutes describe methylphenidate as the most commonly used medication for ADHD in the Netherlands. It is widely recognized under brand names like Ritalin and Concerta. These reports note two simultaneous realities. First, methylphenidate is a standard, regulated prescription medication for ADHD, including in adults. Second, because it is widely known and widely discussed, there is visible concern about non-prescribed use among students, where stimulant medication can sometimes be misused for focus or exam pressure. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment stresses that ADHD medicines require a prescription from a qualified doctor and are meant to be part of clinical care, not casual performance enhancement.
The scale of prescribing illustrates how mainstream ADHD medication has become in Dutch care. Recent national statistics report that stimulant prescriptions such as methylphenidate are now issued to a meaningful share of the Dutch population, with usage levels across adults and adolescents that have multiplied compared with the mid-two-thousands. This is described as a sustained rise, not a brief spike.
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam as a Specialized Access Point
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam presents itself as a focused diagnostic and treatment center for adults with ADHD. Public material from the clinic frames ADHD as a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, regulation, impulsivity and restlessness, and promises a structured program of assessment and follow-up care. The brand positions itself as a knowledge and treatment center rather than a generic mental health office.
Its Amsterdam location is listed at Naritaweg 233, 1043 CB Amsterdam, and the clinic emphasizes that phone contact should be used only for urgent questions about a current treatment or appointment. The main Amsterdam line is published as 088-3131202, and the Amsterdam mailbox is published as amsterdam@adhdcentraal.nl. The broader contact statement explains that the organization can be reached on working days from 08:00 to 12:00 and from 13:00 to 17:00 local time, which corresponds to 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00 in Europe/Amsterdam. Outside those hours, messages sent by email are answered on the next working day, and true after-hours crises are redirected back to the huisarts or, in life-threatening situations, emergency services at 112.
This framing matters. It draws a line between clinical questions that cannot wait, which should use the phone, and administrative or financial questions, which are pushed toward other channels such as billing support. It also mirrors the national model by pointing people back to the huisarts for urgent out-of-hours escalation.
The No-Show Policy
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam clearly warns that it runs a no-show policy. In Dutch patient-facing language, the center says, “Let op: wij hanteren een no-show regeling. Klik hier voor meer informatie,” which in English means, “Please note: we have a no-show policy” (translated from Dutch). The message is direct. Missed appointments are treated as an operational and clinical problem, not a harmless inconvenience. The policy is flagged alongside contact details, so patients see it early, before care begins.
This is more than administrative housekeeping. Specialist ADHD assessment blocks significant clinician time. When someone fails to appear without warning, that slot cannot easily be reallocated. The no-show policy signals that attendance is part of the agreement. Show up, or let the clinic know in time.
Professional Registration and Accountability
The Dutch system makes professional accountability visible. Clinical staff commonly sign communications with two national identifiers: an AGB code and a BIG registration number. The AGB code refers to a nationwide provider registry used in Dutch healthcare administration. The BIG registration number confirms that the professional is legally registered and licensed to deliver individual healthcare in the Netherlands. Publishing these identifiers next to a job title such as “nurse specialist” or “location manager” is meant to reassure patients that they are dealing with registered professionals bound by national standards, not with informal or unregulated actors.
Even in the ADHD space — which historically carried a stigma of being “niche,” “alternative,” or “overmedicalized,” depending on who was talking — the presence of these national identifiers underlines that adult ADHD assessment and medication management sit squarely inside regulated care.
ADHD Beyond Stereotypes
Public health and press coverage increasingly stress that ADHD is not just a childhood label for disruptive school behavior. It is described as a neurodevelopmental condition that can persist into adulthood, shaping executive function, emotional regulation, working memory, and the ability to prioritize tasks. Broad coverage also highlights that many adults, especially women, reach their thirties or forties before recognizing that chronic overwhelm, fractured focus, and exhaustion might reflect ADHD rather than character flaws.
At the same time, ADHD is now discussed with more nuance than “you can’t sit still.” Clinicians and advocates describe patterns like hyperfocus — intense, prolonged immersion in a task of high personal interest — which can be productive in bursts and destructive when it crowds out basic self-maintenance. This more layered view treats ADHD less like a caricature of restlessness and more like a different regulatory profile that needs structure, support, and in many cases medication.
Conclusions
Dutch ADHD care is not a mystery box. It is a system with a front door, and that front door is the huisarts. That doctor either starts stimulant treatment directly, usually with methylphenidate, or writes the referral that unlocks specialist assessment. The model is intentional. It keeps access structured, and it keeps responsibility anchored in primary care.
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam sits inside that model rather than outside it. The clinic speaks the language of regulated care: published contact hours in Europe/Amsterdam office time, published phone and email channels, a stated no-show policy, and explicit acknowledgment that urgent after-hours problems still route back to regular Dutch primary care. The signal is calm but firm. ADHD in adults is real, and it deserves organized, accountable medicine.
Sources
https://adhdcentraal.nl/en/amsterdam/
https://adhdcentraal.nl/contact/
https://adhdcentraal.nl/en/
https://www.cbs.nl/en-gb/news/2025/29/adhd-medication-use-has-quadrupled-since-2006
https://www.rivm.nl/en/news/improper-use-of-methylphenidate
https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/dutch-healthcare-system/general-practitioners-gps-doctors-netherlands
https://mymaastricht.nl/health/basic-info/family-doctor-healthcare/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiwZQNYlGQI
Appendix
General practitioner (huisarts)
In the Netherlands, the huisarts is the primary care doctor who acts as the first point of contact for medical and mental health concerns, including ADHD. This doctor decides whether a situation can be managed directly in primary care or needs referral to a specialist.
Gatekeeping model
Dutch healthcare is structured so that access to almost all specialist care runs through the huisarts. Without a referral from this doctor, specialist appointments are normally not possible and may not be reimbursed. This model is meant to protect hospital capacity and keep costs predictable.
Methylphenidate
Methylphenidate is a stimulant medication widely prescribed for ADHD in the Netherlands, sold under brand names such as Ritalin and Concerta. It is considered standard therapy for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and requires a prescription from a licensed clinician.
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam
ADHDcentraal Amsterdam presents itself as a knowledge and treatment center for adult ADHD. The clinic publishes its Amsterdam location as Naritaweg 233, 1043 CB Amsterdam, and lists contact via amsterdam@adhdcentraal.nl and 088-3131202 during working hours (08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00 Europe/Amsterdam). The center asks callers to reserve the phone line for urgent questions about treatment or appointments and to use other routes for billing or administrative topics.
ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder)
ADHD is described in clinical and public health material as a neurodevelopmental condition that affects attention, impulse control, restlessness, planning, and emotional regulation. It is increasingly recognized as lifelong, often persisting into adulthood, and not limited to classroom behavior.
No-show policy
A no-show policy is a standing clinic rule that missed appointments without timely cancellation can trigger consequences such as fees or access limits. ADHDcentraal Amsterdam highlights this upfront: “Please note: we have a no-show policy” (translated from Dutch). The message is that attendance is part of the therapeutic agreement.
Professional registration codes
Dutch clinicians typically include two identifiers in their signatures. The AGB code is an administrative provider code used across Dutch healthcare. The BIG registration number confirms that the individual professional is licensed and registered to deliver healthcare in the Netherlands. Publishing these codes next to a professional title signals regulated status and formal accountability.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 