A BORDERS GP practice has been told to apologise over the ‘abrupt’ withdrawal of a patient’s prescribed medication.

A parent complained to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman about the care their adult child received following surgery to remove infected fluid on the right lung.

The patient, referred to as ‘A’ in a report from the watchdog, was prescribed gabapentin to manage post-operative nerve pain.

But the practice later stopped prescribing the medication and A’s mental health ‘deteriorated significantly’.

The parent, referred to as ‘C’, objected to the ‘abrupt withdrawal of gabapentin’.

The ombudsman report stated: “They highlighted that gabapentin had been prescribed to manage ongoing nerve pain following surgery and noted the risks of sudden withdrawal.

“The practice stated that prior to the discontinuation of gabapentin there had been an increase in early requests for renewal of medication, which caused concern.

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“A had not attended appointments with the GP or with cardiology (specialists in diseases and abnormalities of the heart). The GP felt that they could not justify further prescription of controlled drugs without seeing the patient.”

It added: “We took independent advice from a GP. We found that there was no record of any significant harm from gabapentin or evidence of overuse, or had there been any discussion around reducing or stopping gabapentin.

“We noted that gabapentin is known to cause problems during the withdrawal period and it should therefore be withdrawn slowly. We also found that no withdrawal support was given.”

The ombudsman said it considered that the practice had failed to appropriately manage A’s prescription.

It also found failings in the practice’s handling of C’s complaint.

The practice was ordered to apologise for both matters.