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Continuing prescribed medication in a rehab centre

April 30, 2024

4:06 pm

Flowchart showing guidelines for managing prescribed medication during rehabilitation including admission, supervision, adherence, avoiding substances, communication, and dosage adjustment.

Table of contents

Continuing prescribed medication when going into rehab: Is this possible?

We sincerely hope so!

No centre should ever try and change your prescribed medication.

This is not the point of rehab.

We are addictions clinicians, each with decades of experience of assessing, diagnosing, prescribing for and treating people overcoming addiction.

Here we share our advice with you so you can make an informed choice.

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Medication bottles, journal, tea on wooden table Continuing prescribed medication in rehab

Detox doesn’t mean stopping prescribed medication

It is not uncommon for patients to be prescribed long term benzodiazepines and be alcohol dependent or for patients dependent on street heroin to also be prescribed opioids.

Furthermore, it is essential that someone takes all their medication in with them so that the centre has a full picture of what medication someone is taking: This is important due to possible contra indications.

Beware of any centre that says you cannot bring certain things along as they cannot store them. https://pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/ld/mixing-medicines-how-to-ensure-patient-safety

Continuing prescribed medication in rehab needs to be fully integrated into your treatment plan.

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What if I want to come off my prescribed medication in rehab?

If a patient wants to explore coming off prescribed medication, any reputable center would insist that you speak to the person who prescribed the medication to you, in the first instance.

This could be your GP, consultant, pharmacist prescriber or nurse prescriber.

Coming off prescribed medication could be the sole reason why someone is seeking admission.

Again, this needs to be fully discussed with the clinical team at the centre.

Some centre’s have a visiting specialist interests GP (GPSI) and/or a consultant psychiatrist who is on the General Medical Council list of specialists https://www.gmc-uk.org/

Some centre’s use a nurse prescriber, such as myself, or a pharmacist prescriber.

They can initiate all the same medication as a doctor with two exceptions: Diamorphine and dipipanone .

However, it would be rare, these days, for these items to be needed in rehab. https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/standards-for-post-registration/standards-for-prescribers/ https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/education/pharmacist-independent-prescriber



Key Takeaways

  • Rehab centers should never change prescribed medication; patients must continue their medications while in rehab.
  • It’s crucial to bring all medications to rehab for proper planning and safety.
  • If patients consider stopping their medication, they should consult their prescribing clinician first.
  • Rehab is not suitable for stopping mental health medications; centers can’t facilitate this without proper protocols.
  • For guidance on continuing prescribed medication in rehab, seek advice from experienced addiction clinicians for free and confidential support.
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Open brown prescription pill bottle with white, blue, and beige pills scattered on a wooden tablehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZoi7MAprP0

Coming off mental health medication in rehab

There are callers who want to use a rehab center to come off their prescribed mental health medication.

This, as a mental health clinician, I would not recommend.

Rehab centers are not mental health hospitals.

This will not be allowed and any center that offers this should be reported to the Care Quality Commission: immediately.

Rehab centers are there for rehab. It is not the environment in which to change long term mental health medication.

If there is a consultant psychiatrist available at the centre and if the situation is quite straightforward (ie someone wants to come off a very low dose of a long-term antidepressant) then, certainly, that is a conversation to be had.

However, to go into a centre with the sole intention of coming off mental health medication is a non-starter.

All health food shop remedies, vitamins, Chinese medicines, alternative medicines and over the counter items need to be declared: This is important in the case of contra indications. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/mixing-medications-and-dietary-supplements-can-endanger-your-health

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How can Find Me a Rehab help with Continuing prescribed medication in rehab?

We are addictions clinicians each with over three decades of experience in the field of addiction treatment.

As we are not tied to any particular centre or service, our advice is impartial as well as being free and confidential.

We get a variety of enquiries over the phone, by email, live chat and whattsap.

If you need 24 hour addiction help to find a rehab, call and speak to an experienced addictions clinician. We are available to give confidential, free and impartial advice. Anyone can call to get 24 hour rehab advice.

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Get help today : Continuing prescribed medication in rehab

Call, email, live chat or whattsap with an experienced addictions clinician for free, independent and confidential advice on any aspect of addiction, detox, rehab, therapy, home treatment, relapse prevention and aftercare.

Our clinicians can advise you on treatment plans, treatment options, locations, costings and logistics.

Continuing prescribed medication in rehab is an important aspect to consider.

Make you you make an informed choice.

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Need help finding the right rehab for you or a loved one? Get in touch today and take the first step toward recovery.

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