Shared Care

A shared care agreement is a formal arrangement between healthcare providers to jointly manage a patient’s care. For example, this may be between a specialist consultant and an independent prescriber, such as a GP or pharmacist.

It sets out a structured plan that allows a patient to continue treatment safely under shared responsibility, while maintaining appropriate specialist oversight.

In a shared care arrangement, responsibility for a patient’s treatment is divided between a specialist consultant and another qualified prescriber through a formal agreement.

The specialist initiates the treatment and provides detailed guidance on dosing, monitoring, and managing any side effects.

The prescriber then continues to issue prescriptions and perform routine monitoring in line with the agreed protocol.

Both healthcare professionals communicate regularly, and the specialist remains available for review or advice if the patient’s condition changes or concerns arise.

Shared care is classed as any formal arrangement where both a specialist consultant and another qualified prescriber have defined roles in managing a patient’s ongoing treatment.

This usually means the specialist initiates treatment and provides guidance, while the prescriber continues prescribing and monitoring under an agreed protocol, with ongoing communication between both parties.