Can GP just stop your antidepressant?

[AutumnChild99]

I have been on antidepressants for 2.5 years which I think slowly but steadily saved my life. I requested it today, as I always do, via the NHS app and the request was rejected. I requested it at the right time (about 4 weeks after the last one) so I'm panicking a bit thinking they may just have decided I don't need it anymore. They can't do that right?

No, would always tail down with discussion

No it probably just needs to be reauthorised by the doctor. Try again/ contact the surgery to book your medication review if you haven’t had one in the last year or so.

It’s more likely it’s time for a review with your GP so the automated system has rejected the request? That’s what’s happened to me before. You will just need to make an appointment and it will be sorted that way, no problem.

Thank you all, this is reassuring. I could do without a GP appointment next week but I'll prioritise it if I need to. Wish me luck in getting an appointment!

They might be able to put a prescription through for you to tide you over until your review appointment.

No they'll just need to see you in person to repeat the prescription. You need regular medication reviews, or you should be having them. No gp would suddenly stop your prescription as youd be ill

No, they wouldn't do this.

You just need a review in order for them to continue to prescribe.

I'm in this situation (albeit a bit different) with some of the medications I take.
I requested my usual repeats this month and was met with a message that I need to have some of them reviewed.
I'd already requested this (last week) and the prescription went through so I thought it was the end of it. I have received a message today to say that I would be having a review by telephone in two weeks time.
The medications involved are a mixture of nerve pain meds and antidepressants.
I'm all set to tell whoever it is (no guarantee that it's a GP) that they are welcome to live my life for a few weeks and then tell me what I should stop taking (some of them will need reducing slowly or I will have massive withdrawal effects).
Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself - I have generalised anxiety disorder and will likely need medication permanently unless I suddenly get to a wonderful place in my life (unlikely). I'm not going to let anyone take away a medication that I need unless there is a better alternative out there.

Thank you for sharing your experience, I totally understand what you mean. It took guts to ask for help at the time and I can't face being without again. I don't mind taking medication for life if it means I can live a better life (still with its challenges, but I feel my head is just above water if you see what I mean). I had to fight for medication for another condition years ago and I know how frustrating that is. I hope your appointment goes well - it's all stress we don't need. Good luck.

They will just need to do a medication review. Likely a telephone consultation.

I've been on anti-depressants since 2016, and have had many of them.

They're not trying to stress you out by reviewing your medication, it's good practice to check in with patients that their medication is still working and they still want to be on it. In the bad old days people were on high doses of valium for years with nobody checking or following it up.

My understanding is that gps are supposed to review all prescriptions regularly as part of their contract people especially on multiple medications can just continue to renew everything even if they don’t need something particular. This has happened recently to us and the pharmacist picked up that one drug should be changed following recent research. I think this is standard procedure.

They wouldn't do it without a discussion and most antidepressants you need to taper off anyway. Maybe GP just needs to represcribe it for you

This.

I work in a GP surgery with 17,000 patients. The amount of patients I encounter on a daily basis who think that that one of my GPs is on a personal mission to make their lives difficult is staggering.

You can't just be given a life long prescription with no follow up. All it takes is booking and attending a phone appt on your part. Really not hard.

And I have been on meds for GAD myself in the past. Healthcare is no longer something that is done TO you. You have equal responsibility to the GP in managing your conditions and their treatment.

Sorry I didn't mean to say that they should never review it - I guess some communication would have been nice. In the past they called me or sent me a message - even sent me a questionnaire about my mental health to complete - but this time they just rejected my medication and it really stressed me out.

Some surgeries print a message on the copy of the prescription that is included with your prescription to say you need to book in for a review. So they may think you haven’t booked a review, but you may just not have seen the message.