Can a regular doctor prescribe ADHD meds without a diagnosis?

[spunkysmum]

Originally Posted by Buffie1313

Sadly no...Well, my GD gave me strattera but it doesn't do much.

Me either...except to trigger irregular periods, as I seem to remember. What was up with that I wonder?

[rockydaydreamer]

Originally Posted by spunkysmum

Me either...except to trigger irregular periods, as I seem to remember. What was up with that I wonder?

Yeah, and for guys, it can cause difficulty urinating.. it's like they're messing with us.
Sure, the pill clears my mind of clutter, but the discomfort of the side effect is annoying.

[Blimey]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy12

Blimey, the way it works usually in the UK is that you get diagnosed by a psychiatrist or ADHD specialist but it's the GP who prescribes the medication.

GP's can't make an ADHD diagnosis but once you have a diagnosis they can prescribe meds (and usually do, I think).

EDIT: Oops, sorry, just read your question properly again

Anyway, no, without a diagnosis GPs shouldn't prescribe ADHD meds.

Thanks for this fuzzy (even though it is a little disappointing. Was getting my hopes up after seeing that apparently in America, a regular doctor can prescribe meds!) Do you mind if i ask how long the waiting list to see a psychiatrist? How long did the whole diagnosis process take?

[CrushCrush]

Originally Posted by CheekyMonkey

However, dismissing advice from one's doctor simply because you think you know best seems a bit foolish to me.

I don't have that viewpoint in life. My doctor can give iput and his opinion, but I know what's best for me. If I'm saying I want more dose or type of med, then write the script and hand it over. He doesn't know how I feel or what's in my mind.

Many people are very happy with Welbutrin over stims. That's great for them. I happen to be different. I don't need Dr's being some kind of big brother roadblock to my well being and health. People will know what works best for them and how much meds they need.

There are too many people in today's world acting as intillectuals and doing too much thinking on behalf of other people which is costing us dearly. People don't need a Dr or regulations to get in the way of the care they need. This causes us a lot of lives on a daily basis. A sad way of living. We need treatment. Not games.

[JOHNCG]

Originally Posted by Blimey

Hi, was wondering if anyone could confirm this - can a regular doctor (called GPs here...not sure what they're called elsewhere? "Family doctor" maybe?) prescribe meds without a proper ADHD diagnosis?

In England a GP can prescribe any medication they want- even controlled drugs like the amphetamines (dexedrine, for instance) and Methylphenidate (Ritalin) used to treat adults with ADHD- on a private prescription.

I'm not sure exactly, though, about whether or not the same applies with NHS prescriptions; if it does, I expect it would might work something like this...

An English GP can legally prescribe stimulants (amphetamines, Ritalin, etc) for you on an NHS prescription , if they endorse the prescription, or issue it on the understanding that, it is for an officially "specified purpose" (e.g. typically, a condition like ADHD or narcolepsy)- that is, they are satisfied that you do, in fact, have genuine ADHD or narcolepsy.

Remember though, that the stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD in the UK (like dexamphetamine and methylphenidate) are all classified as "Controlled Drugs" by the regulating authority, as they have a known potential for abuse and illicit diversion; and given this, I would say that unless an English GP has already acquired some solid clinical knowledge and experience re the diagnosing and treatment of patients with adult ADHD, he or she will be very unlikely to issue NHS presciptions for ADHD stimulants.

Also, I have heard , by the way, (and I am not sure exactly how true this is) that while adult-persistent ADHD is largely accepted now by the medical profession in the US as a valid and legitimate medical condition, the same is not true, unfortunately, in the UK, where there is still much skepticism regarding the adult diagnosis. So maybe bear that in mind??

There are , however, specialists (i.e. psychiatrists) in England who do treat adults with ADHD. Your best bet, in my opinion, is to do some research and locate the nearest psychiatrist to you who deals with the disorder, and then get a referral from your local GP to see him or her and make an appointment.

Ok, seeing a specialist psychiatrist will probably cost you some time and money, but think about it like this... adult ADHD is a serious psychiatric condition; if you do have it and it remains undiagnosed and untreated (or worse, mistreated by a GP who doesn't really know what they are doing!!) it can basically screw up your life big time. So its worth paying an expert to find out what the score is (??)

Hope this is of some help/relevance?

Kindest Regards, and BoBL

John

[JOHNCG]

Originally Posted by Blimey

Thanks for this fuzzy (even though it is a little disappointing. Was getting my hopes up after seeing that apparently in America, a regular doctor can prescribe meds!) Do you mind if i ask how long the waiting list to see a psychiatrist? How long did the whole diagnosis process take?

What Fuzzy says is not 100% true , Blimey. A UK specialist (psychiatrist) who diagnoses you with ADHD can issue a prescription for stimulants, or whatever other drug treatment they decide upon, to treat your ADHD, only it will be a private scriptthat they write for you, not an NHS script. The former , of course, will cost you a lot more dosh ($$$) !!

The rest of what Fuzzy says is basically right, that is, what usually happens is that first of all, you go to a specialist to get your diagnosis of ADHD confirmed; then, after that, you trott of to your GP, with a letter from the specialist saying "Blimey has ADHD and needs a prescription for these drugs: X, Y and Z". The GP then says, "That's all cool and in order", and writes you out a prescription for X, Y and Z on the NHS, so you don't have to bear the higher cost of having those drugs dispensed on a private script.

Hope that makes sense??

Regards,

John

[ladyshady]

I've been wondering this too. I was diagnosed with ADHD but it was last year to see if I could get a grant for some college classes. I wonder if I could get the doctor I seen then to give me the record so I could take it to a GP and have them prescribe something? I'm on the poor people's insurance and the wait list to see a psychiatrist is long and I have to try something to see if it'll help cause time is ticking with my need to get the college classes and a job.

[sarahsweets]

If you can get your old records and take them to a new doctor i dont see why prescribing something would be off limits.

[JOHNCG]

Originally Posted by ladyshady

I've been wondering this too. I was diagnosed with ADHD but it was last year to see if I could get a grant for some college classes. I wonder if I could get the doctor I seen then to give me the record so I could take it to a GP and have them prescribe something? I'm on the poor people's insurance and the wait list to see a psychiatrist is long and I have to try something to see if it'll help cause time is ticking with my need to get the college classes and a job.

I don't think that there should be any problem with getting the doctor who diagnosed your ADHD to provide you with a written confirmation.

Here in Australia, I would just need to make an appointment with the doctor who diagnosed my ADHD and say to him/her, "Look , I need an official letter from you to say that I have adult ADHD in order to get a college grant (or whatever), is that OK.?"

There's no major reason I can think of that they'd have a problem with that, and ususally they'd write out something for you on the spot.