ADHD Medication Service:
Medication options following your child’s ADHD diagnosis
Following your child’s ADHD diagnosis, you may be thinking about different interventions, such as practical changes at school, therapeutic support, parenting guidance, social skills training or even changes to your child’s diet. You may also be considering medication.
Whilst medication is not the only way that children with ADHD can be supported and life can improve, current research indicates that medication combined with psychologist or coach support can lead to the best possible outcomes.
Medication can sometimes seem scary; people have concerns and questions.
We are here to help. Our ADHD medication service has been designed to offer a professional service for you and your child, finding the perfect medication balance for your family’s lifestyle, whilst working safely and minimising side effects.
Who can use the ADHD Medication Service?
Our service is for children and young people (up to 18 years), and their family, who have received a diagnosis of ADHD.
If your child’s ADHD diagnosis has come from CAYP Psychology, the NHS or services with whom we work closely (there’s a long list…), we can proceed straight away.
Should your child’s ADHD diagnosis have come from a service we have not worked with before, or perhaps a service who complete assessments differently to the standards we uphold, we may ask to review the diagnostic report before agreeing to proceed. Your child’s safety is our priority.
What does the ADHD Medication Service involve?
We are proud to offer an exceptionally high-quality service, run by our prescribing pharmacist, Claire Larder.
Our ADHD medication service is very thorough and there are several stages: Before your first appointment, some health checks are needed. There are then opportunities to discuss medication options, and ongoing reviews. Once your child is settled on any medication, we can refer you back to your GP as part of “shared care” agreements.
1.
Before Your First Appointment
There are some details we will need. These include your child’s height, weight, blood pressure and pulse, plus a cardiac assessment where a clinician listens to the heart for murmurs and the lungs for signs of fluid. A healthcare professional, such as your GP, can offer this.
We also need a copy of your child’s Summary Care Record. This is a print out from your GP practice that a receptionist can do for you.
Should your child have a family history of cardiac difficulties, a referral to cardiology may be required.
You will also need to buy your own set of scales and blood pressure monitor, so that our pharmacist can take regular readings when she titrates any medications.
2.
An Initial Meeting
We will meet together over approximately 1 hour, and this can take place online. This meeting will help us to develop a full and detailed understanding of your child’s circumstances and diagnosis.
At the end of this appointment, medication options will be discussed and arranged. A prescription may be provided, and sent out securely and “Signed For” in the post, for you to pick up your prescription from your local pharmacy.
3.
A Follow-Up Appointment
Approximately two weeks after your child has started their medication, a follow-up appointment will take place. This appointment ensures that the initial prescription is correct, and your child is managing to tolerate the medication. Any side effects can be monitored.
4.
Recurring Appointments and a Referral to Your GP
Every 4 weeks, a recurring appointment will take place. Once you’ve had your first meeting, you can then have as many of these 4-week appointments as you need.
During these meetings, medications will be reviewed and progress will be monitored.
Once your child is settled on their medication, we can make an application to your GP practice for “shared care”. Shared care is a formal agreement that enables your GP to accept the ongoing responsibility for the safe prescribing and monitoring of your child’s medication. Once this agreement is in place, our service’s care for your child will have been formally transferred to your GP.
Independent services sometimes have difficulties with setting up shared care agreements, as they are often initially “rejected” by NHS teams, but we work hard to ensure that there are no bumps in the road.
to arrange an appointment, please Click the button below
For more information, please send us a whatsapp. Our team (Charlie included…) will help
