Transfer of Specialist Prescribing to GP
If a medication is recommended or initiated by a specialist service (whether private, NHS, or Right to Choose) and a request is made for the GP practice to continue prescribing it, this must be reviewed and formally agreed by a GP or appropriate prescriber.
These requests fall outside the repeat prescribing process. Reviews can take up to 5 working days, and the initiating specialist should provide at least one month’s supply while a request is being considered. All decisions are made at the prescriber’s discretion and must follow clinical guidance, safety standards, and local prescribing policies.
Shared Care & ongoing specialist treatment
- Shared Care Agreements are not automatic and are not implied by a specialist recommendation, diagnosis, or letter.
- Shared care must be formally requested and explicitly accepted by the practice before any prescribing or monitoring responsibilities are taken on.
- The practice may decline shared care if it is not clinically appropriate, outside the prescriber’s competence, or not supported by guidance or local policy.
- Patients should continue to obtain prescriptions from the initiating specialist until confirmation from us is received that ongoing prescribing has been accepted.
Before considering a request, we must receive a formal clinical letter from the specialist service confirming the diagnosis and clinical rationale, medication name, strength and dose, monitoring requirements, duration of treatment and clear responsibilities agreed by specialist and patient.
All decisions are made in line with GMC guidance, which requires prescribers to act in the patient’s best interests and within their scope of competence. If NHS prescribing is not agreed, you may continue treatment via prescriptions issued by the specialist service. The NHS does not reimburse private consultation or medication costs.