Prescription "Refill" Policy
First a clarification - prescription refills are supplied by pharmacists. When a patient calls our office and asks for a "refill" they are really asking us to issue a new prescription. The difference is important, as issuing a new prescription requires an evaluation that cannot be done over the phone by a receptionist.
Dr. Moghissi, Kristin and Misty issue enough refills on a prescription to last the patient until the next office visit. Prescription medications are only available by prescription for a reason; the federal government has determined that those medications need to be issued and monitored by a medical professional. It is not good medical care to continue to issue prescriptions without monitoring the patient.
Given these limitations, here is our new prescription policy.
- The providers at Jasmine Moghissi, MD PC will give you sufficient drug quantities and refills to last until your next recommended follow-up appointment.
- We will try to make the prescriptions more flexible, allowing different dosage forms and potentially adding diagnosis codes to the prescriptions (as allowed by law) to expedite the filling of prescriptions at the pharmacy.
- If you come in for any reason, we will review your prescriptions with you and consider reissuing those that will be expiring soon. We will do this for simple problems only; patients with complicated medical issues need and deserve enough time to deal with these appropriately. Please bring a list of your prescriptions (with ending dates) or your prescription bottles with you at each visit to assure the correct prescriptions are being issued.
- If you change pharmacies, please ask the pharmacist to transfer the prescription to the new pharmacy.
- If another physician issued your prescription, we will not extend it without an office visit.
- There will be no issuing of prescriptions for controlled substances without an office visit for any reason. If the medication you are trying to fill is unavailable, find out what closest medication is available at the pharmacy and call the office with that information. We will often issue a replacement, but you must bring the original prescription back in exchange.
- If you have no more refills left on your prescription, assume it is time to come in and be seen. It is a rare day that we cannot get someone in that same day to be seen. We will no longer repeat or extend prescriptions without an office visit unless there are extreme extenuating circumstances.
Because we will now take care of simple chronic problems when you are here for other reasons, this may actually save many of you time. We will need your help to alert us that your prescriptions are expiring though, so make sure you let us know when you are in the office!
Addendum: we typically monitor patients on medication at the following intervals:
- Blood Pressure: every 6 months if BP is stable, in 1-3 months if there is a change in medication or dosage.
- Cholesterol: every 6 months with blood tests and office visits, in 3 months if there is a change in medication
- Diabetes: every 3 months with blood tests and office visits
- Psychiatric Medication (Depression, anxiety): every 3 months
- Insomnia: every 3-6 months
- Attention Deficit Disorder: every 3 months
- Birth Control pills or hormone replacement therapy: annually
- Thyroid Replacement: every 6 months if stable, in 1-3 months if there is a change in medication or dosage.
- Allergy Medications: annually
- Pain Pills (controlled substances): depends on how many are needed. Anywhere from every 2 weeks to every 3 months
- Pain Pills (not controlled): every 6 months
Copyright 2012 Jasmine Moghissi, MD,PC.