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Thread: Faxing Rx's

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    Faxing Rx's

    I was wondering what the policy on other OD offices is? We currently get at least a couple requests each day for patients or optical stores requesting the Rx to be faxed. We have been faxing in the past, but its taking up too much of our time. Can we refuse and just ask the patient to pick it up?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mma View Post
    I was wondering what the policy on other OD offices is? We currently get at least a couple requests each day for patients or optical stores requesting the Rx to be faxed. We have been faxing in the past, but its taking up too much of our time. Can we refuse and just ask the patient to pick it up?
    I don't think that it would be the best for the patient if you refused to fax. I get OD's offices phoning me asking me what progressive lens I fit a particular person with. I'm not going to refuse.....let's try to get along. I remember what happened to me in the early 80's when there were no fax machines. A small town OD refused to give me the rx over the phone and the unfortunate patient had to pick up the rx from the OD and drive 45 minutes out of her way and drop me off the prescription at my home. Now that's convience!

    Regards,
    Golfnorth

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    The ones that are ******** usually won't fax or E. Mail, these are the same ones that try to hide behind HIPPA. Or even mail Mail an Rx. The nice ones send it an smile. By law all should have given them a copy at time of examination.
    Think of it man, you are saying your office staff is too important to be bothered with giving the patient his prescription. If you that busy you can afford more help that has time.

    Chip

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    I tend to agree that it is a simple service that shows the patient that you still care about them. At times, I wonder if it will become more abused as alternative online optical providers grow a bigger footprint.

    There is a law somewhere that permits the doctor to charge for additional copies of Rx's. It must be in place for some practical reason. It isn't fair for any one patient to force doctors' offices to provide numerous Rx's without regard for the time and effort involved. If it's lots of different patients, maybe the dispensary structure should be examined for flaws.

    In private practice, where long-term patients appreciate consistent care, there is good reason to continue serving the patient requests without complaint. In a cut-throat commercial practice where patients seemingly do not care who the provider is, there is cause to be more restrictive.

    Some pharmacies have resorted to requiring patients to present the Rx and won't accept a fax. There are valid reasons for doing so. A copy of a copy is not a clear authorization in any case.

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    I always give the patient a copy of their Rx at the time of the exam and fax Rx's as requested. If the Rx is more than 2 years old I charge a fee to rewrite the Rx and ask the person to pick up the paper. I've had people pick up Rx's that are over 5 years old. Are opticians filling these?

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    When the Rx is expired, we won't give the patient any more copies. There are very, very few exceptions.

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    In our office all patients are given a copy of their Rx at the time of their exam. It takes time to pull the file and do the work. If they want another copy they have to pay for it, and we prefer to fax to avoid typos. Unfortunately, we also had to start charging for file transfers due to Rx requests masquarading as file transfers.
    As well, patients should be given their original copy back and not have their Rx kept for safekeeping by the optical store.
    Last edited by NorthStar; 06-17-2008 at 01:33 PM.

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    We will fax the RX, never give it over the phone, to much of a chance of an error. If the RX is expired then we will still give it but write in big letters "expired" and then give the date, so there can be no confusion.

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    Damned if you do, damned if you don't

    To clarify, I automatically write out the patient's Rx right after the exam. It is their responsibility; if they lose it or don't have it with them, they will pay for the time for a faxed duplicate because we are already busy dealing with the patients in our office. Why should I inconvenience the patients in my office for somebody who forgot their Rx? Try obtaining your drug Rx phoned in to your pharmacy by your GP or even a free Rx copy.
    Am I wasting my time automatically writing out the Rx for all my patients? Perhaps I should do it only upon request of the patient and fax for free? It should save everybody time, and I am sure the optical store appreciates it when the patient is already carrying their Rx.

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    Since when did prescriptions for eyeglasses start expiring? You can recommend that the patient come back every year or two, but refusing to fax a rx to an optical because it expired is bullsh*t. We all have stories about doctors that don't give rx's out because they are expired, or they need to be signed. I understand that it does take the doctors' staff time to do this, but if they didn't, than what do they do all day anyway. Seems to me that a secretaries job is to do exactly that. There are always people that abuse the system, but thats not what I am talking about.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson View Post
    North Star:

    My internists and specialists have never been reluctant or charged for giving an Rx to my pharmacist. Of course you optometrist are much more important that mere medical physicians.
    I have never had one refuse a phone call or to even Rx something without charge for something that could be prescribed without an office visit or exam. Never had one fuss because I lost or miss-placed an Rx.
    You think you mo' Impoatant dan u is. O.D. doesn't mean Optical Deity.
    Chip
    Seriously, are you for real ...?

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    So instead of automatically giving the the patient a copy of their Rx at the time of the eye exam, you would prefer I only write Rx's upon request and fax for free?
    My experience with GP's is quite different. They don't do anything for free including simply re-writing an Rx, and I don't blame them.

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    dude, your attempt to be funny or whatever you are trying to be makes you look like an idiot and a racist for mocking the way other people speak. please stop.

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    Chip, if I want my medication prescription sent over to my pharmacist by fax, I pay $20 for the convenience. I don't get charged if I come in to see the doc for 5 minutes to tell her I need a refill. And my GP will only rx 3 months worth at a time. So if I had those all called in, I'm spending $80 a year.

    opti-refractonator, do you seriously think that all an OD's staff does is sit around and wait for rx requests? I for one am not a secretary, I'm a paraoptometric. I do more than answer phones, check people in and take their payments. I'm getting really tired of everyone assuming that the assistants in an OD's office are pretty little girls who can't think for themselves, wear short skirts to increase eyeglass sales and do everything in their power to keep people from talking to or seeing the doc. :angry:

    Yes, I will fax over an rx if asked. I will not give it over the phone because I don't want someone accusing me of giving out the wrong Rx just because they wrote something down wrong.

    Yes the Rx will be written as expired if the patient is overdue to come in for an exam. Just like my GP won't give me an expired Rx if she wants to see me. So if you decide to make glasses off that expired Rx because "rx's don't really expire", then don't look for sympathy if it turns out that you need to do a re-do because the patient can't see better with the new glasses.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mma View Post
    I was wondering what the policy on other OD offices is? We currently get at least a couple requests each day for patients or optical stores requesting the Rx to be faxed. We have been faxing in the past, but its taking up too much of our time. Can we refuse and just ask the patient to pick it up?
    Well, since OD Rx errors (admittedly rare) are paid jointly by the Retail Optical/lab rather than the Dr. office, I think the OD can suck this FAXING cost up to the cost of doing business.;)

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    wow!

    what a touchy subject! i had a feeling that some animosity would develop over this. i wish OD and opticians were a bit more understanding of each other. i really have a lot of respect for opticians. the one's i have dealt are very knowledgeable.

    i give out rx's to all pt's at the end of their exam, including those that buy glasses from me. i don't charge for copies of rx's.

    it is an inconvenience to have to pull a chart, rewrite and fax an rx. it's an inconvenience to me not because i'm an OD, but because i'm busy, just like opticians are very busy also.

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    Quote Originally Posted by tmorse View Post
    Well, since OD Rx errors (admittedly rare) are paid jointly by the Retail Optical/lab rather than the Dr. office, I think the OD can suck this FAXING cost up to the cost of doing business.;)

    this is true for most optical stores. however, there are a number of stores in my area that will not redo lenses for a Dr error. the redo cost is passed onto the patient. and then guess who the patient expects to pay for it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by mma View Post
    this is true for most optical stores. however, there are a number of stores in my area that will not redo lenses for a Dr error. the redo cost is passed onto the patient. and then guess who the patient expects to pay for it?
    And guess what, you should have to pay for it too! If it's your error why would you even consider passing the cost onto the patient?

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    In Missouri, there is no educational requirements to become an optician. Hence Chip's obvious inferiority complex. Any fees each person charges is their business. If my customer/patient is unhappy they'll go to someone else. Also Chip, Canada doesn't have socialized medicine. We do have a single provider insurance system that happens to be publicly run. But for those who only watch Fox news and who probably have never travelled more than 200 miles from their homes, I would expect such ignorant comments.

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    There are also opticals who charge for Rx information. I have dealt with a couple of opticians who charge for release of CL info. and refuse to give it over the phone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kidsparrow View Post
    You're treating receptionists with the same disdain you accuse OD's of directing at you. How about a little respect all around?

    What you're not getting is that every office is different and in some, yes, perhaps they have someone who is strictly a front-desk person. I'm a receptionist (who doesn't mind faxing Rxs, btw) and I do FAR more than what you've described. There is ALWAYS work to do.

    And "cute little receptionist" is beyond insulting.
    Ya had that one comin' Chip.

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    you are absolutely right to be insulted that the od's receptionist would be cute and little. I have never seen an od's receptionist that was either one of those.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NorthStar View Post
    There are also opticals who charge for Rx information. I have dealt with a couple of opticians who charge for release of CL info. and refuse to give it over the phone.
    I have never called any office, whether it's an OD or an Optician, to get contact lens info forwarded. After all it is my responsibility as an Optician to evaluate the fit, regardless of prior CL lens wear or not. So if the patient remembers what they had previously worn, great. If not, no big deal....gives me the opportunity to fit what I think is best anyway.

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    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson View Post
    Well I guess I'm being chastised because the O.D.'s can't affort cute petite receptionists, Huh? I guess only the OMD's can afford cute petite receptionist. The O.D. models must be fat and ugly, I guess.

    Chip

    Wow, way to be a grown-up.

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    What in tarnation does the esthetics of the receptionist.. IF THERE IS A DEDICATED RECEPTIONIST have to do with whether one should charge for this service?

    It is time consuming and a bit inconvenient to disrupt whatever task you were doing, be it answering patient questions, filing insurance assisting the people who happen to be in your office currently or what have you to take care of faxing copies of Rx's to various offices, providing duplicate receipts for flex care, etc. The question is.. is it enough to warrant an additional charge to do so...

    My answer is that is depends on what you want your office to portray to your patients. If you want to be the discount provider where everything is cheaper than Walmart, then perhaps if patients are already buying services ala carte, a fee would be in order to keep prices lower for the rest of the public. However if you are an office (like mine) where we try to promote the idea that we will take care of you, and patient's come first! Then perhaps a seperate fee would not be a wise move, though if it is seriously taking that much time away and causing significant costs for labor, ink, paper, etc.. then perhaps a minor adjustment to your exam fee is in order to cover those costs.

    Chip, for what it is worth, I know you are one of the best in the business when it comes to technical skill. However not every office operates with the cliche's you put forth, nor is every other practicioner/provider a money grubbing fool. Everyone caters to the clientel / patient base they so desire, and if they are doing it well.. they make money. But please, do not assume that every office is either like yours or other "bad" offices you have encountered.
    "Some believe in destiny, and some believe in fate. But I believe that happiness is something we create."-Something More by Sugarland

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