Can the GP make me come off medication?

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I was prescribed antidepressants for the first time last November. When I picked up this month’s supply from the pharmacy, there was a note on the box asking me to make a review appointment with the doctor before next issue of my medication. The antidepressants have helped me a lot and my symptoms have improved (although I sometimes still have wobbles). My mental health issues began because of situations related to the pandemic. I’m worried the GP will want me to stop taking the antidepressants because I do feel a lot better than I did when I was initially prescribed them. However obviously the pandemic is still ongoing and some of the causes of how I was feeling/am feeling haven’t gone away. I’m only now starting to work through my feelings with a counsellor and although I’m feeling much better than I did, I still feel I need the support that medication gives me. But I’m worried that because I seem better, the doctor will want me to stop. Can they make me?

No I’m sure it’s just a regular review because they can’t just keep issuing meds without any contact for years on end.

I have a chronic illness that will never go away but I still have to have a 6 monthly check-in to make sure all is well. For me it’s a blood test but for depression it will just be to check that you’re not having any unpleasant side effects.

The fact that it’s not even been a year yet I’m sure they wouldn’t expect you to stop them - maybe after several years they’d consider seeing if you could cope without them if thats something you’d like, but tbh of all the medications available ADs seem to be fairly freely prescribed and long term side effects aren’t really considered whenever I’ve been given them. Coming off usually entails a period of tapering and adjustment and if at any point you find you’re struggling then they’d just increase your dose again.

It’s not unusual for GP’s to occasionally review medication; it would be negligent if they didn’t. What this kind of appointment normally means is that he/she will want to check his you’re getting on, how you’re responding to the meds etc.
It’s all pretty standard stuff, and in no way means that they want you to come off them.

Sounds like a standard review. It would be remiss of a doctor to not check in amd see how you are doing. I would give feedback that you find them v useful and they are enabling you to access therapy in a positive way. You hope to be able to taper them at some point in the future when you have made more progress with your therapy.

Yes they can stop prescribing even if you object, but that is unlikely. A run of the mill antidepressant is a relatively low risk medication. The doctor needs to check in with you occasionally. If you tell the doctor that it is working well for you and especially if you report that you are actively engaging in therapy, the gp is extremely unlikely to want to stop the medication. If they do want you to stop even if you state that you think it’s a bad idea it would probably be because of side effects or drug interactions. I wouldn’t worry about this check in at all. It should just be a follow up to make sure the meds are still working and there are no problems.

All GPs will ask for a review every 6 months, and that is for all meds. It is to make sure they are still working, you are not getting bad side effects etc.
It is not a bad thing! if anything, it is a chance to check in if you might have struggled before.