Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Adverse drug reaction
- An unwanted or harmful response to a medicine taken at a normal dose.
- Adverse event
- Any unexpected or unwanted occurrence linked to a treatment that harms, or could harm, a patient.
- Atomoxetine
- A non-stimulant medicine used to treat ADHD when a stimulant is unsuitable, not tolerated or has not worked.
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- A condition affecting how the brain develops, causing lasting inattention, restlessness or impulsiveness that gets in the way of daily life.
- Baseline checks
- The physical measurements and history taken before the first dose so that later changes and side effects can be compared against a known starting point.
- Body mass index (BMI)
- A measure of whether a person is a healthy weight for their height.
- British National Formulary (BNF) and British National Formulary for Children (BNFC)
- The standard United Kingdom reference books that tell prescribers how to use medicines safely in adults and in children.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Centile
- A way of showing how a child's height or weight compares with other children of the same age and sex.
- Clinical governance
- The system through which an organisation monitors and improves the quality and safety of the care it provides.
- Comorbidity
- Another health condition that a person has at the same time as the one being treated.
- Contemporaneous record
- A note written at the time of, or very soon after, the event it describes.
- Contraindication
- A reason why a particular medicine or treatment should not be used in a particular person.
- Controlled drug (CD)
- A medicine whose supply, storage and records are tightly restricted by law because of its potential for misuse.
- Dexamfetamine
- A stimulant medicine, and a controlled drug, used to treat ADHD.
- Diversion
- When a medicine is passed on to, or used by, someone other than the patient it was prescribed for.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with a person and their family when something goes wrong with their care.
- Formulation
- The particular form a medicine comes in, such as an immediate-release or a modified-release (slow-release) tablet or capsule.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The body that registers doctors in the United Kingdom and sets the standards they must meet.
- General practitioner (GP)
- A family doctor who provides everyday medical care in the community.
- Glaucoma
- An eye condition involving raised pressure inside the eye that can damage sight.
- Guanfacine
- A non-stimulant medicine used to treat ADHD in children and young people when a stimulant is unsuitable or has not worked.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations that set out the fundamental standards providers must meet to deliver care, including Regulation 12 on safe care and treatment.
- Hepatic impairment
- Reduced liver function, which can affect how some medicines are handled by the body.
- Immediate-release
- A form of medicine that releases its full dose quickly after it is taken.
- Indication
- The medical reason for using a particular treatment.
- Informed consent
- Agreement to treatment given freely after the risks, benefits and alternatives have been clearly explained.
- Lisdexamfetamine
- A stimulant medicine, and a controlled drug, used to treat ADHD.
- Maintenance
- The stage of treatment once a stable, effective dose has been reached and the focus shifts to keeping the patient well.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The United Kingdom body that regulates medicines and medical devices and runs the Yellow Card Scheme for reporting problems.
- Mental capacity
- Whether a person can understand and make a particular decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made.
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- The law that protects and supports people who may be unable to make particular decisions for themselves.
- Methylphenidate
- A stimulant medicine, and a controlled drug, that is the usual first-choice treatment for ADHD.
- Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
- The main law controlling dangerous or harmful drugs and how they may be possessed and supplied.
- Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001
- The regulations that set out how controlled drugs may lawfully be prescribed, supplied, stored and recorded.
- Modified-release
- A form of medicine designed to release its dose slowly so its effect lasts longer.
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitor
- A type of medicine, usually for depression, that can interact dangerously with ADHD stimulants.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that produces evidence-based guidance on treatments and care for use across health and social care.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Neurodevelopmental condition
- A condition linked to how the brain grows and develops, often present from childhood.
- NICE guideline NG87
- The national guidance on diagnosing and managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Non-medical prescriber
- A trained nurse, pharmacist or other health professional who is qualified to prescribe medicines without being a doctor.
- Non-stimulant
- An ADHD medicine, such as atomoxetine or guanfacine, that is not a controlled stimulant.
- Optimisation
- Fine-tuning the dose to the point where the medicine gives the most benefit with the fewest side effects.
- Parental responsibility
- The legal rights and duties a parent or guardian has to make decisions for a child.
- Pharmacist
- A health professional who is an expert in medicines and how they are used safely.
- Red flag
- A warning sign that calls for the medicine to be held or stopped and the patient reviewed urgently.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment)
- The legal requirement that care and treatment must be provided in a safe way for patients.
- Schedule 2 controlled drug
- A higher-risk class of controlled drug, including ADHD stimulants, with the strictest prescribing, storage and record rules.
- Shared care
- An arrangement where a specialist starts and stabilises treatment and the patient's family doctor then takes over prescribing and routine monitoring under an agreed plan.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction for carrying out a task consistently and safely.
- Stimulant
- A class of ADHD medicine, controlled by law, that increases activity in parts of the brain to improve attention and reduce impulsiveness.
- Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC)
- The official document for each medicine setting out how it may be used, its doses, cautions and side effects.
- Syncope
- Fainting or a brief loss of consciousness.
- Titration
- Starting a medicine at a low dose and adjusting it in steps until the best balance of benefit and side effects is reached.
- Tolerability
- How well a patient is able to cope with a medicine's side effects.
- Tourette's syndrome
- A condition causing involuntary movements and sounds known as tics.
- Yellow Card Scheme
- The United Kingdom system for reporting suspected side effects of medicines and problems with medical devices to the regulator.