Understanding Our Practice’s Policy.
Our practice has been receiving requests from private providers to review patient notes to ensure it is safe for them to prescribe weight loss medications including, but not limited to Wegovy, Saxenda or Mounjaro. Here’s what you need to know:
Responsibility for Prescribing
- The clinical responsibility for prescribing is with the private 3rd party provider
- When a private provider asks us to review your notes, it implies that our practice would take responsibility for prescriptions initiated by other organisations.
- General Practice is under extreme pressure and cannot take on unfunded, non-contractual work for Non-NHS providers.
Regulations and Safety
- According to GMC regulations, it is the responsibility of the prescribing clinician to ensure their prescribing is safe. This includes:
+ Taking an adequate history.
+ Examining the patient.
+ Conducting and acting on any appropriate pre-prescribing investigations.
- NICE guidelines require an examination of the patient, including accurate weight measurement at initial assessment and regular reviews.
Private Providers’ Responsibilities
- Private providers should not expect NHS GPs to perform private work on their behalf.
- They must not assume that a non-response from us means there are no contraindications to prescribing the medication.
Access to Medical Records
- Patients can arrange for private providers to have full access to their NHS records via the NHS app.
Our Policy
- We direct third-party private prescribers back to their patients.
- We direct patients to share their medical record via the NHS App
- We cannot take responsibility or get involved in third-party prescribing, which remains the clinical responsibility of the prescribing clinician.
What You Should Do
Private Providers: Please contact your patient directly to resolve any queries about their medical history.
Patients: Ensure your private provider has access to your NHS records through the NHS app.
For guidance on weight loss through lifestyle changes, please book a 20-minute appointment with one of our practice nurses. Alternatively, The North Cumbria Wellbeing Service can help set and maintain lifestyle goals and direct you to services and organisations that can offer additional support to meet your goals.
Injectable Weight Loss Drugs – information for patients and self-referral form