It is good practice for health professionals to involve patients in the decisions about their treatment, taking account of their values and beliefs.
While the Department has not issued guidance itself, the establishment of Medicines Partnership promotes the concept of concordance—or shared decision making—to help patients take their medicines better and to help them get the most from their medicines. Medicines partnership has, over the years, worked both with professionals and members of the public to promote shared decision making.
The Department also supports Ask About Medicines Week, which continues to develop initiatives to empower members of the public to ask questions of health care professionals about the medicines prescribed for them and be involved in the decisions about the medicines prescribed for them.