How to Refill your Prescriptions
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The first step in refilling a prescription is to call your pharmacist, who will in turn call your doctor. Please call the pharmacist on a weekday at least four working days before you will run out of your medication. It is also preferable that you not call for a refill on Friday. The doctor on call during the weekends will not refill routine prescription requests.
The doctor needs a four-day span to respond to refill requests because about 90% of his time is spent away from the office, operating at the hospitals. Sometimes the doctor is scheduled to operate all through the day. On these days he is unable to cometo his office where your medical records are kept. Refilling over 150 prescription renewals that come in each week must be highly organized to be done carefully and in a timely manner.
If your medications do not seem to be helping you or if you have unexpected reactions, please call our office immediately. Also, please call if you need to change your medication.
If you are a postoperative patient, you may renew your prescriptions for up to six months. After that time, you must see your doctor for a medication management conference before the doctor will authorize continued medications (or we will have you see your primary care physician). This conference is set up to re-evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the medication for your condition. Please call the office and schedule your medication management conference three weeks before the end of the six-month period.
If you are a nonoperative patient, you may refill your prescriptions up to three times. Before a fourth refill is authorized, you must see your doctor for a medication management conference. Please call and schedule this appointment three weeks before you need a fourth refill of your medication.
Some patients (for example, seizure patients) taking certain types of medications may receive refills for a longer period of time. Your doctor will tell you if you are part of this group.
Following these guidelines will help you to refill your prescriptions in a responsible and timely way. Please call the office if you have any questions.
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