Book your treatment review
Regular reviews keep your care in step with what you need now, what is working and what side effects appear.
Guideline advice, not formally gradedADHD evidence
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Start a note called 'treatment review' and put the first thing you want to raise in it.
5 minutes
Find the date of your last review. If the next one is unclear, draft a request.
15 minutes
Write one page on what helps, the unwanted effects and the support you need now.
A plan
Keep care current
- Confirm who provides your full treatment review.
- Bring treatment feedback and changed circumstances.
- Record the agreed plan and next review date.
How sure the science is
Guideline advice, not formally graded, ADHD evidence
Recommended by ADHD clinical guidelines, but nobody has pooled the trials and graded how sure they are. Guideline advice is a considered judgement, not a measured certainty. Measured in people with ADHD.
NICE NG87 1.10.1 annual review recommendation; a care standard, not a rated treatment-effect estimate.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
ADHD treatment needs can change as school, work, health and responsibilities change. NICE recommends a medication review at least once a year, covering how well treatment works through the day, adverse effects, preferences and whether treatment is still needed; the NHS describes yearly check-ups. This is a minimum interval, not a reason to postpone help when treatment is causing problems.
How to do it
- Check when your last full medication review was and who is responsible for the next one.
- Bring a short account of what treatment helps with and what is still hard.
- Discuss new health conditions, life changes and any unwanted effects.
- Ask for a written plan identifying follow-up, monitoring and who will prescribe.
New problems or side effects mean an earlier review, not a wait. Medication decisions belong with your prescriber.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Bring changes in work demands or school support that change what you want from treatment.
- Ask who will handle prescriptions and physical checks after the review.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA prescription renewal is not necessarily a full review. Ask what was actually assessed.
- Common mistakeA yearly review does not replace earlier monitoring, or getting help with new side effects.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- A Moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- The number
- At least 1 ADHD medication review each year (NICE, 2019)
- Benefit
- 79/100 The benefit score is an editorial prioritization for the general list, weighted by certainty. It is not a prediction of what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Quick win
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87), recommendationsNICE, 2019
- Tier 1 guidelineCommon questions about methylphenidate for adultsNHS, 2025
General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you. Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.