Happy New Year! As we explain below we will have to charge for prescription refills without a visit (starting January 1, 2024).  At this time payments may be made by e-transfer to the following email address: Mmrenewrx@gmail.com   Please include the patient’s name in the notes of the e-transfer.

If you would like to pay with credit card please click here. You may also click “Pay” on the menu bar. Please note that credit card transaction amount will be $25 and e-transfer will be $20.  

NOTICE TO PATIENTS REGARDING PRESCRIPTION REFILLS WITHOUT A VISIT

We have always strived to provide excellent and convenient care for our patients.

Did you know … ?

• The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) pays for most of your medical visits and services. However, there are many uninsured services, which OHIP does not cover. 
• OHIP generally only pays for medical assessments and advice that is given in person, face-to-face, with a patient.
• Medical advice, questions, forms or prescription renewals via fax or email are not covered by OHIP (the physician does not receive any reimbursement by OHIP for these services). 
• Every single phone call, prescription request, form, letter, note, email, fax, or other such request requires the time, skill, and resources of the staff and physician. Hundreds of such requests every day amount to enormous costs to operate a medical clinic efficiently.

Effective Jan 1^st 2024, there will be a $20 fee for prescriptions without a visit for our patients. 

Please know that the primary purpose is not to collect revenue from patients but rather to decrease the tremendous administrative burden of avoidable prescription requests.

Please know that charging a fee for prescriptions is something we have tried to avoid. For nearly a year, we have led several meetings with staff and the local pharmacy where we have brainstormed and trialed different measures to reduce the number of prescription requests, such as:

• Trying to synchronize all of a patient’s medications so that they all come due at once. 
• Trying to ensure patients have ample repeats on their prescriptions.
• Trying to remind patients to check for repeats through multiple methods before contacting our office.
• Trying to encourage patients to call in for all their medications at once, rather than one at a time.
• Trying to encourage patients to get their prescriptions renewed during actual visits, rather than calling in later

Unfortunately, none of these efforts have been successful to a satisfactory level. Every day, our office still receives a huge number of prescription requests, even from patients who:

1. Already have repeats at their pharmacy.
2.  Call in for one medication one day, and then call in for another a few days later, instead of calling in for them all at once
3. Call in for a prescription even though they just recently saw the doctor and could have asked for it then.
4. Have misplaced prescriptions that were already given.

How will charging a fee help?

For years, many physicians’ offices have already been charging fee for prescriptions without visits. These offices report the following advantages: 

• Patients take increased responsibility and improve organization of their medications.
• The number of prescription requests drops significantly, from hundreds down to less than a few per day, in most cases. 
• This frees up staff and physician time to care for patients. It also frees up the telephone and fax lines for more urgent matters.
• In many cases, if a patient is running out of medications, it is time for the patient to come in for a visit to review the effectiveness of their medications and improve patient’s care.

Clarification for Prescription Renewal

Clarifications and Examples:

• Multiple medications on a single prescription request count as only one. For example, a patient requests 5 medications at one time, the fee is $20 (not $100).
• If a patient calls in for a medication one day, and then again the next day (or even a few hours later), that counts as 2 separate requests, $20 each.
• If a patient requests a prescription renewal, even if he/she should still have repeats, we will renew a fresh prescription as requested and the fee applies.
• The fee applies to all of telephone, email, or online requests. These fees only apply if there is no virtual or in person appointment with the doctor.
• All refill scripts will be sent to the pharmacy listed in your chart within 2 business days
• Narcotics and other controlled prescriptions will NOT be renewed online
• Doctors have the discretion to refuse to do refills without seeing you. In that case you will receive a refund of any fees paid

Booking Prescription Renewal Visits:

• For patients who need a simple Prescription Renewal and do not wish to pay, they can call for an appt. and one will be given within 10 days unless there is some urgency. Patients can also book an appointment through email monarkapptbooking@gmail.com .  Emails are checked daily and a staff member will respond within one business day.
• If we offer appointment options, but the patient declines them, that is the patient’s choice and a fee is still applicable if the patient requests a renewal without a visit.’