... I go at the prescription thing backwards from you. I never take calls from the pharmacy nor do I respond to refill requests from the pharmacy, but instead have the patient call a staff member to request a refill. The staff member can then determine from the chart if the patient needs to be seen or if it is a legitimate need, then pass it on to me. We have a few pharmacists who like to play doctor, and "suggest" medication substitutions or additions. These have been snuck in as "refill requests" from the pharmacy.
I used to do it just this way, but I think the ease of e-script refills is winning me over. It is some extra work for the staff to do a refill request with looking at last date filled, last visit, and so on. I guess it just comes down to preference. Thankfully, either way should catch a pharmacist trying to sneak one in. (This is illegal, right?) The e-script request will say it cannot match to an existing prescription, in which case I would call the patient.
The area of refinement I want to work on most, is making sure patients have a follow up when their scripts are set to run out, and making sure all their scripts are renewing simultaneously for chronic meds. I spend way to much time filling refills. The holy grail for me would be, as described, not having to do any refills because they are all done at a revenue generating appointment.
