We've started taking a harder line with those pt's who don't want to pay the office visit to get a prescription. Our policy follows newer and stricter rules of the Osteopathic Board of Licensure in Maine. New rules state we are advised not to prescribe without seeing a patient except under extenuating circumstances. They cite the example that if a patient were in the north woods of Maine or out of state AND does not have reasonable access to medical facility, we could call in an antibiotic.
They require that we follow reasonable medical monitoring or chronic conditions when prescribing medication. In general they intend that we need to see patients at minimum once yearly to continue generating prescriptions for them.
I find the ERx renewal requests helpful because the staff are prompted to see who is seeking Rx and then look to see when the last office visit was. If over one year, we authorize 30 days and require the patient come in to get additional Rx.
Frequently patients grumble to staff but it's rare they gripe to me. We sell it to them in a very polite way of saying "hey it's not MY rule, it's the GOVERNMENT requiring this, so lay off." Again we don't phrase it this way, but it takes the burden of explanation off me and my staff.
