FAQs: Pharmacy

How can I get my medication refilled?

If you have not been seen in the office in over a year, please schedule an appointment. If you have been seen within the past year please call your pharmacy and have them send our office an ELECTRONIC refill request. This is the easiest and most time-efficient way of getting your medications refilled. If you have already called the pharmacy for this request and have still been unable to get your refill authorized you may call the office and leave a message with our staff. In the message please include your first and last name, your date of birth, your telephone number, and the name of the medication, the dosage, and the pharmacy where you would like the medication sent. Refill requests may take up to 72 hours to process.

What is the refill policy on narcotic medications?

Certain medications, such as narcotics, are classified by the government as "controlled substances" and are governed by strict laws designed to protect everyone. Please take your medications seriously. Keep them in a safe place and do not allow anyone else to take them. Your provider may ask you to sign an agreement regarding the use and refills of these medications.

If you are taking a controlled substance you are asked to get them filled at one pharmacy only.

Please make your requests for refills through your pharmacy. Narcotic or controlled substances will only be refilled during normal business hours Monday through Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm by your regular provider. Phone requests over the weekend or during evening hours will not be accepted.

My medication is not covered by my insurance company, what do I do?

Our providers try to prescribe generic medications that are on most insurance plans. We believe in most cases these are less expensive for you and work just as well. Because we deal with dozens of insurance companies, your provider can not be aware of all insurance company formularies. If your insurance does not cover a prescription we wrote, ask your pharmacy to submit a prior authorization request to us, and we will submit notes to the insurance company regarding your care to see if the insurance company will pay for the medication. Please be aware this is a time consuming process and may take up to a week to get approved. If you have been prescribed an antibiotic or an antiviral medication, time is usually of the essence and you should ask the pharmacist if there is an appropriate substitution which is on your insurance formulary. Your pharmacy will then call your provider to get approval for the new medication.

What is an insurance formulary?

This is a list of medications the insurance plan covers. It usually is broken down into three sections: 1. Generic on formulary medications. These are usually the least expensive medications for you, and the formulary has medications for all common conditions. 2. Brand name on formulary medications. These medications are more expensive. There is no generic version of the medication. The co-pay will be higher because these medications are more expensive. 3. Off formulary medications. Sometimes these medications are covered at a higher cost; sometimes they are not covered at all. They will often need prior approval before the insurance company will help pay for them.