How do prescriptions and follow-up work after a Finding Focus diagnosis, for pharmacists and family doctors?

The prescribing clinician makes each medication decision

For adults continuing care with Finding Focus, the prescribing clinician decides whether to start, adjust or renew treatment. These are clinical decisions, not administrative steps.

If treatment is clinically appropriate and legally permitted in the patient’s province, a licensed clinician may discuss treatment options, which can include prescription medication. Discussions may cover stimulant medications, non-stimulant options and long-acting formulations. A diagnosis by itself does not establish that medication is suitable.

Medication may reduce ADHD symptoms for some people. Possible harms include sleep disruption, appetite changes and changes in blood pressure or heart rate, depending on the treatment. Benefits, adverse effects and monitoring needs require an individual review. Medication is not appropriate for everyone, and the person’s health, circumstances and preferences matter.

Prescribing authority and care pathways depend on the clinician’s licensure, the patient’s physical location at the time of care, applicable provincial rules, and the clinician’s judgment.

Health Canada’s MedEffect Canada provides safety advisories and information on reporting suspected adverse reactions. This page is educational, not a diagnosis, an individual treatment recommendation or an authorization to dispense.

Refills are reviewed through check-ins

Renewal requests in Finding Focus’s ongoing adult care are reviewed by the prescribing clinician at check-ins. A previous prescription or a request from a pharmacy does not confirm that another prescription has been authorized.

CADDRA’s Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines provide a framework for monitoring response and tolerability. As a pharmacist or family doctor, you can help by passing relevant observations to the current prescriber. Useful information to clarify includes:

• The patient’s current treatment and any changes made by other clinicians.
• Reported benefit in daily functioning, alongside unwanted effects such as appetite or sleep changes.
• Relevant health changes and monitoring results, such as blood pressure or pulse, when requested.
• The status of the renewal request and when the next clinical review is expected.

These points are prompts for communication, not a fixed monitoring protocol. The treating clinician determines which findings and follow-up are needed for that patient.

Confirm the next review and any information needed directly with the prescribing clinician. The interval depends on the patient’s needs and clinical plan; a check-in is not a promise of a prescription.

Before telling the patient a renewal is ready, confirm that it has been authorized. If a concern cannot wait for the planned check-in, seek advice from the responsible clinician about the next clinical step.

Receiving clinicians decide whether to accept a handover

As the proposed receiving family doctor, you decide independently whether to accept ongoing care and what review you need before doing so. Receiving a report is not acceptance. You are not obliged to adopt the original assessment or treatment plan without your own clinical review.

Finding Focus does not assume another professional has accepted care. A patient’s request, records being sent or a planned appointment does not, by itself, establish who has responsibility for the next review.

Before treating a handover as complete, clarify these points with the patient and the professionals involved:

1. What information you need to review, and whether the patient has consented to the exchange or another lawful basis applies.
2. Whether you accept the handover, which responsibilities you are taking on and when that begins.
3. Who will address any pending renewal request and arrange the next follow-up.
4. How the patient and pharmacy will be told whom to contact after the change.

If you need further assessment or decline the handover, tell the patient and current prescriber clearly. Clarify who remains responsible rather than leaving a gap based on an assumption. The assessment report should not be treated as a shared-care agreement.

Route prescription and record questions separately

For prescription clarification, use verified contact details for the named prescriber. If you cannot reach the appropriate person, use independently verified clinic contact details to ask how to connect.

Confirm the appropriate secure communication route before sending identifiable health information, using independently obtained clinic contact details.

Administrative staff do not make medication decisions. Pharmacy-to-pharmacy prescription transfers are separate from a transfer of clinical care. For transfer and dispensing requirements, consult your provincial pharmacy regulator and applicable federal rules. The National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) links to pharmacy regulators.

Verify the issuer before relying on a document

You can check a Finding Focus document with its issuer, using independently confirmed contact details rather than relying on its appearance.

Finding Focus’s virtual assessments are conducted by licensed Canadian nurse practitioners using DSM-5-TR criteria and CADDRA-aligned practice. The clinicians work with Finding Focus as independent professionals. Not every assessment results in an ADHD diagnosis.

The assessment includes results and a treatment plan. A standard diagnosis letter costs $49; a healthcare-provider report costs $99.

1. Match the patient’s identifying details and the document date to the record you are reviewing.
2. Check the author’s name, designation and registration against the appropriate provincial regulator’s public register. For an Ontario nurse practitioner, use the College of Nurses of Ontario’s Find a Nurse register.
3. Use independently obtained clinic contact details to ask how to confirm the document with its issuer. Do not rely solely on a phone number printed on a questioned document.
4. Confirm patient consent or another lawful basis for sharing information, and use the agreed secure communication route.

A public register confirms registration status; it does not authenticate a particular document. Ask the issuer to confirm authorship if there is doubt. You still decide whether the verified information is sufficient for your clinical purpose.