Can a GP continue medication recommended by a private psychiatrist?

[PurpleLovecats]

Has anybody seen a private psychiatrist but then been successful in getting their gp to prescribe medication on the private psychs recommendation? Rather than having yo continue with private psychiatry which is costly.

It depends on the medication and the GP. For example some GPs are happy to accept shared care for ADHD and will prescribe medication on the NHS as long as you continue to have an annual review with the psychiatrist. Others will not!

Not a private psychiatrist, no. But IME having meds prescribed by a psychiatrist does tend to mean your GP will be more inclined to continue them, even after your therapy has ended.

Yes me! But it was before the Right To Choose/diagnosis mill fiasco that has made gps more reluctant to prescribe. I have never been able to get my ADHD medication from the GP or even the NHS psychiatrist because they just find reasons to fob me off, but I always got my privately prescribed bipolar meds from the NHS GP before I finally got into the NHS mental health system.

Is it medication that has to be prescribed by a specialist? I got skin meds from a dermatologist privately which had to be continued by NHS hospital. If not then I think they could agree to it.

It’s antipsychotics. Stopped by the CMHT as they changed my diagnosis. Was then discharged. Told to seek gp support. They re-referred me saying I was too unwell. Talking therapies rejected me as too unwell. In desperation had private psych consultation. She agreed I need antipsychotics. Have requested them from gp surgery but they are not responding.

My experience is a GP won't prescribe until a psychiatrist declares you stable on them unfortunately (unless it's being monitored by the CMHT)

Ugh ok. Thats what I needed to know really. I can’t live like this and can’t change things without meds. Just needed some honesty not calls being ignored.

IME they won't. Even if the private consultant also works in the nhs.

Yes this one does. Ok. I guess I’m glad that the previous diagnosis is disputed as I fundamentally disagree with it. But actually it seems like paying private was really a waste of time EXCEPT that I can now make my own choices knowing I tried. I do feel vindicated when others were telling me to accept the CMHT diagnosis that I knew was wrong.

My GP won’t do shared care. It’s not a financial issue it’s the drugs need to be prescribed by a psychiatrist.
My psychiatrist can prescribe and recoup the cost from NHS.

I pay normal prescription costs for mine.

My psychiatrist sent a letter to my GP and now I get my scripts from them 🙂.

Actually yes. When I was in therapy they sent summary letters to the GP requesting my meds stayed the same, so perhaps you need to ask for that.

You shouldn’t be requesting them from the GP. The psychiatrist should write with their diagnosis and ask the GP to continue prescribing.

This. The GP will likely want to know that you’re being monitored by the psych though before they prescribe

If this is the case can you request to go on this consultant nhs list ?

It has to be on a shared care agreement. So psychiatrist prescribes for about the first 3 or 4 months then writes to GP to ask them to take over prescribing.

Yes they have written to the gp but they’ve not responded hence me chasing it up.

No, she’s in a different area.

You might find that it is a private prescription even if gp is authorised and willing to do so.

The GP says you're too unwell for any talking therapies. Same as with me basically. It's a real bummer.

Have you tried to ask the GP to refer you to a NHS psychiatrist? I'd hope they would prescribe what the private one would? I hope you find a way to get the medicine you need.

I was under the CMHT for years. They changed my psych, changed my diagnosis, took me off meds and discharged me. Gp has re-referred me but tbh I don’t really want contact with them, they’ve never given me evidence of why my diagnosis was reached. They wanted therapy for childhood trauma when I have none. It was terrible.

That sounds awful. I can totally see why you don't trust them anymore. If your GP won't prescribe you should try and switch.

Yes I’ll have to stay private, I just don’t know how we will find the money.

Give them a chance, you only had the appointment this Saturday. Presumably the psychiatrist has given you an initial prescription? Given your history with your GP surgery, you would be better just leaving them alone until they provide a response. In my experience, my GP is happy to go with my private psychiatrist diagnosis as they don’t have time to mess around. You seem determined to generate unnecessary drama all the time.

No I’ve not been given an initial prescription. I didn’t realise I was creating unnecessary drama? The gp said to contact them this week once I’d had the appointment which is what I have done. I guess I’m desperate though. Hearing things and having insects running all over me, having sores all over my body from scratching, unable to leave the house, mainly staying in my room to keep others safe, not sleeping properly, constant angels telling me everyone is evil and I need to get rid of people, it’s so distressing. And that’s my reality. So I do want things to move on, I want to be able to leave the house, to go back to work. To visit my children and parents. I want to be able to drive a car, go away for a weekend, attend weddings and funerals. I want to walk the dog through the fields and plant flowers in the garden. I just want normality.