What will happen when your child is started on ADHD medication?
Your child’s ADHD specialist will be responsible for the dose changes of the trial ADHD medication (known as titration) until a stable dose is achieved. This occurs within the next 4 to 6 weeks from the time the ADHD medication is started. Please ensure that you read all the patient information provided about your child’s medication. Monitor your child closely for any benefits or side effects of medication. Your child’s ADHD specialist will continue to monitor and issue repeat prescriptions during dose titration.
How often do I need to contact the community paediatric department during dose titration?
During this phase of dose titration, you are required to contact the community paediatric department by phone or email on a weekly basis. This enables effective dose titration and monitoring until the dose has stabilised. Please use the telephone number or email included in this patient information.
What information is needed at each telephone/email contact?
During each telephone/email contact, please provide your child’s:
- Full name and date of birth.
- Name of medication and dosage.
- Benefits and side effects of medication noticed. (Refer to medicine information leaflet enclosed in medication pack).
- In your opinion, whether further increase or decrease in dose of medication is required.
Your child’s ADHD specialist will get back to you as soon as possible, either by phone or letter. You will be advised on any required dose adjustment.
Where can you obtain a repeat prescription during dose titration?
Please be aware that your child’s repeat prescription will be issued to the following pharmacy at your request:
- Hospital pharmacy at Grantham District Hospital.
- Rowlands pharmacy at Lincoln County Hospital or Pilgrim Hospital.
You will be required to give at least 10 working days notice by telephone or email only to the community paediatric secretaries. Please use the telephone number or email on the reverse page of this patient information, between 9.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays.
Unfortunately controlled medication can only be issued for a period of one month with each prescription. We acknowledge that this may be inconvenient for your family, particularly if you reside quite a distance away from the hospital locations.
What happens when your child is stabilised on ADHD medication?
When your child is stabilised on a suitable dose of ADHD medication, prescribing responsibility will then be transferred to the GP under shared care arrangement. The specialist service will continue to supply treatment until the GP is prepared to accept responsibility for shared care. Your GP will continue to prescribe the drug therapy as part of the shared care agreement, once your child is only on a stable dose. In certain circumstances, following a request from the consultant specialist, the GP may agree to further titrate the dose according to your child’s response.
Where can you obtain further repeat prescriptions after your child is stabilised on ADHD medication?
Repeat prescriptions can only continue to be issued by your GP if your child regularly attends for specialist monitoring. This is to ensure safety whilst on medication.
What happens after each specialist medication review of your child?
Your child’s ADHD specialist will issue a letter/clinic report to the GP after each review appointment. This will include:
- summary of review findings
- treatment continuation or changes
- confirmation that relevant monitoring has taken place
- explanation as to why it has been deemed necessary/unnecessary for changes
- assessment of the child’s progress
- confirmation that further prescriptions should be issued
- time of the next review.
It is Trust policy for your child to be discharged back to the GP if they fail to attend two consecutive clinic appointments. All ADHD medication prescriptions will then be discontinued as your child would not have received the regular monitoring required. Please inform us as soon as possible if you change your address, contact details or GP surgery.
Where to obtain a repeat prescription where your child’s GP has declined shared care agreement
Your child’s GP may decline shared care agreement for monitoring and issuing of repeat prescriptions for your child’s ADHD medication. In this situation and to allow continuity of care, your child’s ADHD specialist will continue to monitor and issue repeat prescriptions.
Your child’s repeat prescription will be issued to the following pharmacy at your request:
- Hospital pharmacy at Grantham District Hospital.
- Rowlands pharmacy at Lincoln County Hospital or Pilgrim Hospital.
Please allow 10 working days notification by telephone/email contact to the community paediatric secretaries between 9.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays at the numbers listed below:
- Lincoln County Hospital [email protected]
01522 512512 ask for relevant secretary
- Kingfisher Unit, Grantham Hospital
01476 464500 [email protected]
- Boston Hospital 01522 307444 or 307445 ask for relevant secretary [email protected]
Please let us know as soon as possible if your child’s GP surgery change their decision on your child’s shared care arrangement. For further information: www.medicine.org.uk
Community Paediatric Department
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
To give feedback on this patient information, contact
01522 512512 and ask for community paediatric secretaries