Understanding Co-Prescribing ADHD Medication with Your GP

Co-prescribing ADHD medication allows your GP to write prescriptions for your child’s stimulant medication, without the need for frequent reviews at InformADHD Children's Clinic. This process has recently changed and GPs no longer need a permit to do this. 

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This guide outlines the steps to organise co-prescribing with your GP, manage prescription renewals, and plan follow-up appointments with Dr Peyton. By following these steps, you can ensure your child’s ADHD treatment is consistent, effective, and carefully monitored.

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There are a few extra things to know about co-prescribing:

- Not all GPs are comfortable co-prescribing, talk to your GP about whether this is something they are comfortable doing.

- Co-prescribing is usually done when your child's medication has been optimised, and they are stable on their current dose.

- Stimulant prescriptions expire after 6 months. 

- Permits are no longer required when a Paediatrician asks a GP to prescribe the medication.

- Responsibility for coordinating the steps outlined below in a timely manner rests with the family.

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Follow these steps to organise co-prescribing with your GP

1. Check in with the GP: Make sure your GP is comfortable writing stimulant prescriptions for children with a letter of instruction from the paediatrician.

2. Fill Prescriptions: Once the permit is approved, visit your GP when medication is needed. They will write the prescription for you.

3. Repeat as Necessary: Prescriptions last for 6 months. When picking up your last repeat, arrange a time to return to your GP to renew it.

4. Follow-Up Appointments: Plan to see Dr Peyton for a regular review every few years, especially around grade 6 when transitioning to long acting stimulants, or less often if things are going smoothly and the GP is happy. 

5. Monitoring: Your GP will check your child’s blood pressure, height, and weight during these visits to ensure ongoing safety and efficacy of the medication. If there are concerns, the GP will either manage these, stop the medications or arrange for an earlier review with Dr Peyton. 

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