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.

I'm so sorry. It's really awful isn't it. I'm in a similar situation. I hope things improve for you x

Thank you, I hope you get the help you deserve too.

Why on earth didn’t the psychiatrist send you an initial prescription after your consultation when you explained your symptoms and desperate situation? Has she written to your GP?

Why the jellyfish sting comment at the end? What was your intention? Just think it’s odd that someone who has also struggled with their mental health would make a comment that it’s difficult to interpret in any way other than making the OP feel bad.

OP, your situation and symptoms sound awful. I hate the gap between care and help for physical illness compared to mental. Keep fighting for what you need. Do you have any good support IRL from family and friends?
Im sorry I can’t be of more help on the medication advice front. X

My GP agreed to shared care about a year ago for my ADHD medication prescribed by a private psychiatrist. However, they have since changed the rules and will now only do it for psychiatrists on the Right to Choose List (mine is not on the RTC list but is a very experienced and respected psychiatrist who used to be a consultant for the local NHS mental health trust). So if my psychiatrist prescribes any more medication. I will have to pay privately.

It was based on her long history of posting. It didn’t occur to me that she came out of her appointment with the private psychiatrist without a prescription, given the apparent urgency of her symptoms.

GP here. It depends on the medication. Many common antipsychotics are prescribed by GPs, many newer ones are not. The reason is in the licensing. Medications that are licenced for ‘specialist prescription only’ are usually not. This is because legally the person who signs the prescription takes responsibility for any side effects / mo rowing of the drug. And most GPs are not able to do that when medications are prescribed out of licence or are pretty new .

Surely if the psychiatrist you saw felt you needed anti psychotics they’d have issued a private prescription for you?

Maybe OP couldn’t afford a private prescription and was hoping that the GP would take over and quickly, once the psychiatrist got in contact.

Going by OPs posting history, it’s much more likely that OP felt she could bypass all the medical professionals who have told her anti psychotics aren’t appropriate for her by paying for a private appointment.
Im afraid in this instance I don’t have a lot of sympathy. No one involved in her care feels they’re appropriate. So she paid to see someone unfamiliar with her medical history in the hope the GP would feel compelled to prescribe

Yes she has. I can see the letter on my notes, it’s also been sent to my previous MH team. She said she was hopeful they would agree to prescribe as she felt I deserved nhs treatment and shouldn’t have to pay. I was told to come back to her if I had a problem which I will of course if I can actually get an answer.

Thanks. Very supportive family who have all contacted professionals up state that my symptoms are hugely alleviated by medication.

Thank you x

Thanks for explaining. The psych recommends aripiprizole.

We were told by our gp (Scotland) that if we got a private assesment for adhd then the NHS would not pay for any medications they may need.

Recommended or prescribed?

I don’t know why you respond to my posts seeing as you constantly seek to try to disprove what I say.
It is not true that nobody involved in my care believes I need antipsychotics. I was put on antipsychotics every time I was sectioned (about 7 times now I think). Previous psychiatrists under the CMHT all believed they were appropriate for me. That is how my family and I have been able to ascertain they work. My last CMHT psych changed my diagnosis and removed the medication. He was my 6th psychiatrist. The first to not issue antipsychotics. So I do not understand why you think you know my situation better than I do? You respond to me constantly suggesting I have a vendetta against the nhs when all I want is a medication that allows me to live a relatively normal life. Who wouldn’t fight for that? Do you honestly think my family would support me in trying to get this medication if they thought it didn’t work?

Recommended to the gp as she hoped for shared care but she stated she will prescribe it if I cannot get shared care.

Many people assume that a gp has to prescribe meds suggested by a consultant (NHS or private), but they are not employees of said consultant, and are legally liable for any medicine they prescribe.

My surgery had a policy that you had to have at least one private prescription, to check everything was okay, before an nhs prescription could be written. Also, have you checked the price of the medicine? It may not be as bad as you think.

Also, areas have formularies and certain drugs can’t be prescribed by gps, and have to be prescribed by consultants. I’ve just checked one formulary and it does say ‘specialist initiation’, so it’s whether the gp accepts a private referral letter.

Finally, it may just be a time factor. Did the consultant email or post the letter? Then the letter has to be scanned on the system, read (by admin staff usually), patients records updated, then forwarded to gp to read and approve and issue. This can take time. A normal repeat prescription can have a 48- 72 hour turnaround.

They cost pennies.

Thanks both. Letter definitely on the system, has been since Monday. That’s why I waited til end of the week to contact the gp.

The pharmacy will add a dispensing fee on top.

So clearly they warned you it may not be straightforward for gp to do so. Your gp would need to check if it were funded and reassess your records for any potential contraindications in your history. They might also need to see you in person first even if they agree. A week is not really long enough to expect them to receive, review and take action.

Maybe I’m being too impatient. When I spoke to the gp last week he said to contact them this week after the assessment so I thought it was the right thing to do.

Only up to the nhs prescription cost in my experience