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Review: Review of Prescription of Medication for ADHD

Committee/Panel: Health and Social Security Panel
Launch Date: 8 July 2024 Close Date: To be advised
Submissions Deadline: To be advised Ministerial Response Date: To be advised
Review Status: Gathering evidence

​In progress

About

The Health and Social Security Scrutiny Panel has launched a review of the Prescription of Medication for ADHD. During a Quarterly Hearing with the Minister for Health and Social Services in March 2024, the Panel was advised by the Director of Mental Health and Adult Social Care that due to Jersey’s prescribing regulations and the way medicines are funded, the prescribing of ADHD medication can only be carried out by a specialist consultant psychiatrist. In addition, due to global medication shortages, Health and Community Services has been ‘forced’ to issue patients with only one month’s worth of medication at a time, instead of the normal 6-week dose.  

The aim of the Panel’s Review is to evaluate the current procedures for prescribing ADHD medication and the impact any delay of prescriptions may have on the patients' health and well being.  It will also discuss publicly with the Minister for Health and Social Services any actions being taken to alleviate any ADHD medication shortage, where possible.    

The Panel is currently undertaking a call for evidence in the form of written submissions from members of the public asking for their views on ADHD to include

Experience of accessing ADHD Medication

Impact on health and well being caused by long waiting times for medication

Ease of access to medication (costs, timing, location).

 

We would be grateful to receive a written submission in the first instance, however, if there are any accommodations that you feel would be helpful in order for you to submit evidence, do please let us know and we will make arrangements wherever possible including speaking to the Panel in person.

Please contact our Panel Officer via email on scrutiny@gov.je or telephone on 441020, who can make the appropriate arrangements.

The Panel has drafted a number of questions and would be grateful if you could use these as guidance in your response.  The questions are as follows:

1.     What is your experience (or that of your patients) of accessing ADHD medication?

2.     Have you (or your patients) had experience of long waiting lists for ADHD medication?

3.     What feedback have you (or received from your patients) with regards to overall experiences.  Could you provide examples?

4.     What impact do you believe the following have on your (or your patients) health and wellbeing;

  • Waiting times for medication
  • Frequency of prescriptions issued
  • Ease of access (costs, timing, location, etc) for prescriptions and medication 

5.     Do you believe that the frequency of prescribing medication could or should be decreased and do you believe that the authority to prescribe medication should be expanded to GP's?

6.     What ideas do you have, if any, that may help improve the situation (which could also assist the Panel in its recommendations to the Minister)?

7.     Are you aware of any shortage of ADHD medication on the Island?

8.     Do you have any specific experience or ideas that you wish to share with the Panel which may help inform our review?

Terms of reference

  1. To evaluate the current procedures and frequency for prescribing ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) medication

  2. To identify any obstacles in the prescribing of ADHD medication

  3. To assess the impact of any obstacles on patient wellbeing and overall health

  4. To evaluate any shortage of ADHD medication and review how this could be mitigated, if at all