Reducing Refill Requests
You may be careful to prescribe an appropriate number of medication refills to last until your patient's next visit.
You may be careful to prescribe an appropriate number of medication refills to last until your patient's next visit. However, unexpected events occasionally result in the rescheduling of the next appointment for a week or two later-which can require you to call in a "holding prescription." I have found that adding 1 extra refill to the number I would normally prescribe has significantly reduced the volume of prescription refill requests our office has had to handle. I explain to the patients that I still want to see them again as directed and that the extra refill is only for "just in case" situations.
-- Ken Moon, MD
Silver Spring, Md
