4. Ending the consultation

It is important that the patient is happy with the advice given and understands what to do subsequently. The prescriber should have agreed a follow-up plan and you can check with the patient that they know what this is.

If this is unclear, but the patient is happy to continue with the medication, you can suggest a reasonable interval until they return for assessment (e.g. three months). It is good practice to formally check that the patient agrees and is comfortable with the ‘first prescription’ consultations and is given the opportunity to ask questions or discuss other issues.