Patients on Supervised Community Treatment: exemption from
prescription charges for medication for mental disorder: NHS (Charges
for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 2008
Supervised
community treatment (SCT) is one of a number of measures introduced
with effect from 3 November 2008 by the Mental Health Act 2007, which
amends the Mental Health Act 1983. SCT is a new way to manage the care
and treatment of suitable patients in the community following detention
for treatment under the Act. Patients on SCT will be required to make
themselves available for medical examination for periodic review of
their condition or for a second opinion about their treatment. They may
also be asked to keep to conditions designed to ensure they receive
treatment and to address any risk of harm to their health or safety, or
to others. Patients on SCT may be recalled to hospital for treatment if
that becomes necessary.
The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment Regulations 2008 provide that SCT patients must not be charged for medication they need for mental disorder (as defined in the Mental Health Act), provided that the medication is
supplied via direct supply by the PCT or Trust or by a health
professional through a Patient Group Direction. If the patient is
prescribed medication through the community pharmacy route, by means of
a prescription on form FP10, the exemption will not apply. Any SCT
patient entitled to exemption from charging on other grounds will of
course remained entitled on that basis.
Arrangements should be
made at local level to ensure that SCT patients can receive their
medication via the routes described above, so that charges do not
apply. It is expected that this will in most cases be consistent with
systems already in place to deliver medication to patients on discharge
from hospital under the Mental Health Act.
For further information, the Department of Health has prepared a Question and Answer document.