Stimulant treatment at MUMS

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Stimulants are the first choice for medication treatment  for ADHD. It can only be initiated by specialists and requires dose titration and monitoring.

Stimulants are controlled drugs; in private practice a specialist ‘pink’ prescription pad is required, and all prescriptions are monitored by NHS England. The rules state that only 30 days of medication can usually be prescribed at one time.

At MUMS we try to keep the cost down for patients, but there is likely to be an ongoing cost for patients until treatment is taken over by the specialist NHS service. You also need to consider the cost of the medication.  Pharmacies set their own prices, so it makes sense to enquire at several pharmacies. GPs sometimes prescribe under a shared care agreement if the patient is on a stable dose, however you will need to continue to attend for follow-up appointments.

This is the process at MUMS if you want to consider stimulant medication treatment:

1. Following your diagnosis of ADHD you need to book an ADHD starting medication appointment (the current cost of this is £230). During this appointment medication options, effects and side effects are discussed, and basic measurements are taken (Blood pressure, pulse, height and weight)
2. At home you need to monitor how your child is responding to the medication and observe effect and possible side effects. You also need to measure your child’s blood pressure and pulse.  You need to send these observations to MUMS via email to obtain further prescriptions. The same monitoring is required after each dose increase.
3. If you want to discuss the effect of the medication in more detail, you can either book a 10 minute telephone review (current cost at MUMS is £75) or a face to face review appointment (current cost at MUMS £150)
4. You need to attend a face-to-face review appointments after  3  months and then every 6 months if you want your child to continue on the medication (this is necessary even if your GP has agreed to a shared care protocol)

Pricing

ADHD starting medication appointment	£230
ADHD 10 minute telephone review	£75
ADHD medication follow up face to face  appointment	£150
Stimulant medication prescription fee (when given outside an appointment)	£25
Cost of medication: depends on medication prescribed and the pharmacy, short acting stimulants are generally cheaper, but less convenient for older children