Managing ADHD medication and prescriptions

Summary: ADHD medication affects every child differently. Lots of children notice real improvements in their focus and attention levels. Side effects are common at first but usually settle quickly. Your prescriber will work with you and your child to find the right medication and dose. 

• What to expect when your child starts medication

• Managing your child’s medication

• Planning for the longer term

• How to request a repeat prescription

• How to pay for prescriptions

• Breakdown of costs

• FAQs 

Starting ADHD medication is different for every child. Many notice real improvements in focus, impulse control, and attention. Some find their thoughts feel less overwhelming and easier to manage. 

You might also notice some side effects in your child at first, like headaches or changes in their appetite. These should ease off as their body gets used to the medication.  

• Keeping a diary 
  Keep a diary of how your child's feeling, what dose they're on, and when they take it. This gives you and your clinician a clearer picture of their progress and makes it easier to fine-tune their medication. 

• Switching medications 
  Everyone’s body reacts to medication differently. In some cases, we may need to consider stopping one medication and trying an alternative. If so, you’ll be involved in these decisions throughout. 

  If you don't have a review booked or would like an extra appointment sooner, you can arrange an individual medication review (free for NHS patients, £140 for private patients) by contacting us on 020 4525 0709. 

• If your child feels unwell 
  In rare cases, ADHD medication can affect a child's mood or anxiety levels. If you notice anything significant, we recommend stopping your child's medication immediately and contacting us or their GP. 
  
  If the changes aren't significant and it's safe to wait, your child can stay on their medication and you can raise this at the next appointment. We're not a crisis service, but if your child is struggling, there are ways to get help by heading to our urgent support page. 

• ADHD medication is adjusted to your child’s needs 
  ADHD medication is there to support your child when they need it – there's no obligation for them to take it forever. How long they take it is a decision you and your child can make together with their clinician, and depends on your child's circumstances and how well it's working for them. 

• Consulting a clinician 
  Your clinician will review your child's treatment at regular intervals to make sure it's still working for them. If you're thinking about permanently stopping or changing your child's medication, always speak to a clinician first – they'll safely guide you through any changes. 

Once you've found the right medication and dose for your child, you can request a repeat prescription by completing our medication request form. Private patients pay a £20 prescription fee and pay the cost of the medication to our partner pharmacy. 

Our prescribing clinicians review all prescription requests. They take the time to:   

• Check your request – they review the information you share with us to make sure nothing has changed in your child's health that could affect their medication.

• Oversee clinical safety – ADHD medications are controlled drugs, so prescribing them safely is something we take seriously. 

• Write and issue the prescription – once everything's checked, we'll send it to the pharmacy 

Alternatively, you can book a separate consultation with a clinician to review your child's medication and request a prescription during this appointment. 

Once your child has been on a stable dose of medication for 8 weeks we can request Shared Care from their GP. For full details on how Shared Care works, see our article on Shared Care.

If you request a prescription from us, we'll then share this with our partner, Pharmacy by Cure Clinics. They'll contact you to arrange payment and delivery of your child's medication. Once they receive payment, they'll send it to you. 

Pharmacy by Cure Clinics usually sends a payment link via email. If you haven’t received this within a week of your prescription being issued, please check your spam or junk folder. If there’s no email there, we recommend contacting them directly: contact@pharmacy.cureclinics.uk , 01772 500 424. 

If your child's been referred via their GP: 

• Titration and annual reviews are fully funded by the NHS – you won't be charged for these. 

• The only possible expense is any medication. If your child is in full-time education, you won’t need to pay for medication. If not, you'll only pay the standard NHS prescription rate for your child's medication (currently £9.90 per item, or free if they're eligible). 

• Check to see if your child's eligible for free prescriptions here. 

If you're paying for treatment privately: 

• Full titration pathway: £599 is the fee for 12 weeks of specialist titration from our clinicians. This doesn’t include the cost of medication itself.  

• Cost of medication: This amount varies depending on your child's medication and dose. On average, families pay between £75–£160 per month. This is paid directly to our partner pharmacy, which is independent of us. 

• Ad hoc medication and annual reviews: £140. Please note – this still applies as a private patient with Shared Care in place. 

• Post-titration prescription fee: £20 per prescription, plus the cost of medication. You might be able to access repeat prescriptions via your child's GP at NHS costs (£9.90). 

• Rescheduling of missed appointments: £75 for a missed titration appointment, £150 for a missed assessment appointment.

For medication pricing, please contact our partner pharmacy directly by either emailing contact@pharmacy.cureclinics.uk or calling 01772 500 424. 

How long will my child's medication take to arrive? 

As long as payment goes through promptly, you can usually expect your child's medication within a week of the prescription being processed – whether that's following a titration appointment or after completing the medication request form. 

What if my child runs out of medication? 

If your child's running low and you don't have a review booked, submit a request via our medication request form. You can also book an extra consultation with a clinician to review their medication and get a new prescription in the same appointment.