Important Notice Regarding Private Prescriptions.

Notice Regarding Private Prescriptions:

Private prescriptions are issued for medications recommended by your private doctor. Please note that a private prescription is not covered by the NHS, and therefore, the cost of medication will not be reimbursed by the NHS.

A prescription is a legal document, and the prescriber assumes responsibility for both the use of the medication and its ongoing monitoring. The prescriber must ensure they have all relevant information to assess the appropriateness of the medication and any potential risks, especially in cases where they have not been involved in the initial referral or assessment.

If a private doctor has assessed the patient and issued a private prescription, the GP at Littleton Surgery cannot alter the prescription to an NHS prescription. The GP cannot transfer responsibility for monitoring or prescribing when they have not been directly involved in the assessment of the patient and the recommended medication is considered safe.

Our GPs and other NHS prescribers adhere to strict guidelines, formularies, licensing information, and protocols that apply to NHS prescriptions. Some medications cannot be prescribed in primary care (i.e., by a GP rather than a hospital consultant). An NHS prescription can only be issued if the medication would typically be provided on the NHS.

Once a patient has been established and stabilised on their new medication by their private doctor, our GPs will consider taking on the responsibility for ongoing prescribing of the medication. This will only be considered once we have received clear and detailed information from the relevant private consultant/provider, including their recommendations, dosage, treatment plans, and clinical justification. Please note that this process can take up to two weeks, and it is NOT our responsibility to chase up this information.

Additionally, Littleton Surgery is not obligated to convert privately issued prescriptions to NHS prescriptions, nor do we assume responsibility for medications recommended under private shared care agreements.

ADHD

You need to be aware that should you choose to be referred to a private provider, and a diagnosis is made, we will not be in a position to prescribe ADHD medication or arrange monitoring.  This is because the private providers may not be able to offer the same follow-up or monitoring as NHS specialists. As a practice, we will not enter into a shared care agreement with a private provider.  Getting the ADHD medication must all be done through the private provider and you should check on the costs of ongoing treatment including prescribing and yearly reviews. 

Private providers each have their own referral process and you should refer to their websites for more information.  We may need information from you in order to complete a referral to a private provider on your behalf.  Failure to respond to a request for information about your referral in a timely manner, will result in your referral request being cancelled.

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Published on 2 December 2024