Our Process
Though in theory it may seem simple, these days the process of filling a prescription (Rx) is actually a lot more complex than most patients realize.
This page is designed to help you better understand our process for receiving and filling prescriptions and handling refilling requests, so that we can both work together to get your prescriptions filled as smoothly and quickly as possible.
A bit about
MedSync…
MedSync (which stands for “medication synchronization”) is a standard of care we use for patients filling their maintenance medications (i.e., prescriptions they take regularly) at our pharmacy. It’s a built-in feature of our software system that allows us to synchronize a patient’s maintenance medications so that they’re all due to be filled at the same time, which prevents last-minute refill requests and helps patients with staying compliant with their medication regimen. Because this approach is more efficient and cost-effective for both us and our patients, we now enroll ALL new patients in MedSync as their medication regimen allows, and we are actively working on enrolling already existing patients.
How it works
Once a month (or less frequently, depending on the days’ supply you fill of your maintenance medications), one of our Pharmacy Technicians reaches out to confirm whether anything has changed about your medication regimen since your last fill. They’ll also ask you about any as-needed medications that we’ve added to your list of MedSync medications. We address any changes, if needed, then fill all of these medications at the same time and let you know once they’re ready for pickup (or deliver/mail them to you, if that’s your preference).
When first starting MedSync, whatever of your medications aren’t already “synced up” at the time are short-filled (i.e., in a smaller quantity than usual) in order to ensure that all of your maintenance medications will be due for a refill at the same time moving forward.
There is no extra cost for participating in MedSync.
How your new Rx is sent & received:
We can receive Rx’s in one of four ways:
ePrescribe (i.e., electronically)
Phone call from your provider
Fax from your provider
Hard copy that you bring with you to the pharmacy
How to request a refill:
Requesting your refills in a timely manner is the BEST way to ensure you get the medications you need when you need them. Please refrain from requesting same- and next-day refills wherever possible. We cannot guarantee same-day fills of ANY medication.
If your prescription has refills, aim to request your refill 5 to 7 days before you’re going to run out of your medication. If your prescription has no refills/is expired or you’re refilling early in preparation for travel, please give us 10 days to fill your prescription. If your request is too soon to bill to your insurance plan, we’ll simply set your prescription to fill as soon as your insurance will allow.
You can submit refill requests in the following ways:
Via our secure online refill request form, accessed by clicking on Refill in our main navigation menu above (preferred)
Calling us and using our AI Agent, Phil (preferred)
Calling us and leaving a detailed voicemail message
Calling us and speaking with a staff member
Visiting us in-person
Please note that for new Rx’s (including for controlled substances that never have refills and therefore require a new Rx for each fill) you will ALWAYS need to call us or visit us in-person, as new Rx’s will have a new number associated with them that makes using the AI Agent impossible. Additionally, there may be information we need to confirm with you before we can fill a new Rx.
While we do sometimes take refill requests via email, we’d prefer you use one of the above methods to submit refill requests. We have a very full email inbox and don’t want to miss your request.
How your Rx is filled:
Once we receive a new Rx for a patient, we work through the steps described below to fill it. Please note that, if the person we’re filling the Rx for is not already in our pharmacy system (i.e., is a new patient), we first need to set up a profile for them with demographic information, contact information, allergies, insurance information, and communication preferences BEFORE filling any Rx’s for them. If you’re planning to pick up a new Rx and know either you or the person you’re picking up for is a new patient, you can either complete our New Patient Intake Form online or provide us this information over the phone; if needed, we also have a hardcopy version of this form at our store.
Also, please note that, due to legal constraints, we’re required to fill Rx’s using a patient’s legal name as it appears on their insurance plan. Click here to view our Name & Gender Recognition Policy regarding filling prescriptions for transgender, transitioning, and gender non-confirming patients whose legal name and/or sex do not accurately reflect their gender identity.
First, we confirm whether the patient wants this Rx filled or put “on hold/file” in their profile so that it can be filled at a later date.
Did you know that, if we filled every Rx sent to us, about 30% would never be picked up or needed by the patient? In order to respect our bandwidth and prevent wasting time and supplies, we make an educated guess on our part whether or not to fill a new Rx that’s been sent to us. It is twice the work for us to fill something and then return it to stock, so we tend to put many things “on hold/file.” For this reason, if you know something new is coming through for you, it’s best to give us a ring or visit in-person to confirm with us whether you’d like this new Rx filled or put on hold/file.
Possible roadblock: If an Rx is sent with incorrect or confusing directions, we reach out to your provider about sending a corrected Rx. This can take a few business days, but can move faster if you call your provider directly.
Next, one of our Pharmacy Technicians bills the Rx to the patient’s insurance plan.
If you’re paying cash for a prescription that isn’t covered by your insurance or you’re part of our Cost Plus self-pay program, we skip this step.
Possible roadblock: If your insurance doesn’t cover a medication that’s been prescribed to you, you can either contact your provider to discuss alternative medications that would be covered by your insurance plan OR your provider can start a Prior Authorization (PA) (essentially, an appeal to your insurance company providing reasoning why your provider wants you to take this particular medication). In the case of a PA, we notify your provider that this is required, but then the rest of the process is their responsibility. This process can take anywhere from a few business days to weeks. Once an insurance company has received completed the required PA information from your provider and makes a decision whether to approve or deny it, they usually notify both the patient and provider; if you’ve received word that a PA was approved for your medication, give us a call and let us know so that we can try re-processing the prescription claim through your insurance plan.
If processed successfully through insurance (or if the patient is paying out-of-pocket), the Rx is filled and checked by a Pharmacist.
Possible roadblock: If we don’t have the medication in stock, we’ll have to order it from one of our wholesalers. This can take a few business days. For medications that are backordered due to national stocking shortages or other issues, we may not be able to order any at all, in which case you’ll have to find a different pharmacy that has the medication in stock to fill the Rx for you; this pharmacy can either call us for an Rx transfer OR your provider can send a new Rx directly to that pharmacy (required if this medication is a controlled substance).
Once ready, the patient is notified their Rx is ready for pickup based on the communication preferences in their profile.
Generally, insurance plans require that patients pick up their prescriptions within 10 days of being filled. If you pick up your prescription between 10 - 14 days after it’s been filled, we’ll have to re-run it through your insurance when you come to pick it up, which can take a few minutes if there are people waiting ahead of you. After your prescription has been ready to pick up in our will call bin for 14 days, we’ll return it to stock and you’ll have to re-request a refill.
When filling an Rx that is NOT new for you, additional possible roadblocks include:
If the Rx is out of refills. In this case, we reach out to your provider about approving more refills; this can take a few business days.
Possible roadblock: Your provider may require that you be seen by them before approving more refills for your medication. If this is the case but you’re scheduled appointment isn’t until after you’re going to run out, they’ll usually approve enough refills to cover you in the meantime so that you don’t go without your medication.
If the Rx is expired (see “Other helpful things to know” section below)
How to know when it’s ready for pickup:
If you pick up your Rx’s in person at our store, there are a few different ways you can be notified that something is ready for you:
Text (preferred)
Email (preferred)
Call
Once your Rx has been filled and ready to pick up for a few days, you’ll receive a reminder notification. If, after being filled for 10 days, we have not heard from you that you are planning to pick up your Rx, we will return it to stock and it will need to be refilled and re-billed to insurance, if you still need it.
How you receive your filled Rx:
Patients can receive their filled prescriptions in one of three ways:
Pickup in-person at our store
Patients are welcome to have someone pick up their prescriptions for them, but that person will need to know your demographic information (like name, date of birth, and/or address) and what they’re picking up. If they don’t know and aren’t your legal guardian/Power of Attorney or we don’t have a Release of Information on file, we can’t tell them!
Available Monday - Friday for a fee based on zip code (Saturday delivery is for emergency situations ONLY and not guaranteed)
Per federal regulations limiting the dispensing of prescriptions by a Pharmacist to the state(s) in which they are licensed, we can only mail prescriptions to Minnesota addresses
Patients can have a default preference for pickup, delivery, or mailing of their filled prescriptions on their profile, which can be changed at any time. You can also always request a non-default option as needed (e.g., if you usually pick up your prescriptions but would prefer to have your next refill mailed to you).
A note re: AI Agent Phil
We recently began piloting a new AI Agent, “Phil” (like “fill” an Rx!), which assists with answering the phone and completing simple tasks like prescription refills. Rest assured, Phil is not replacing any of our wonderful staff. It is a new technology that we know everyone—including our team—is still adjusting to. This AI agent has been deployed with the goal of helping us better manage our daily workload and ensure our staff members are able to address the needs of all of our patients and customers, both inside our business and those calling in from the outside.
In a situation where call volume is heavy, staff members are challenged with answering the telephone and assisting our in-store patrons at the same time. This creates frequent interruptions and long hold times while trying to juggle multiple tasks at once, which can be frustrating for both staff and customers alike. Frequent interruptions also increases the risk of error, which in a pharmacy can be a serious problem.
We’re at a point in our business’s life cycle where we’re trying to strike a delicate balance: we can’t afford more staff for both financial and logistical reasons, but we also acknowledge that we can’t have any less staff than we do now. What we can do is offload some of the telephone traffic that we believe can be automated using new technology. Phil, the Agent, is not limited to answering one call at a time—it can literally answer hundreds of calls simultaneously and deal with each one individually, eliminating delayed answering, waiting on hold, or the need to leave a voicemail during business hours.
Another pro to having Phil is that you no longer need your prescription number to request a refill. You can ask it to refill a type of medication, such as an antidepressant or a diabetes med. You can use the brand name of the drug or the generic name (e.g., brand name “Prilosec” vs the generic name “Omeprazole”). Phil knows how to handle these requests and, in many cases, can do it more efficiently than a non-clinical staff member. For instance, you call and ask to have your antidepressant medication refilled, but don’t have the prescription number handy and can’t remember the name of the drug—a non-clinical pharmacy clerk would need to interrupt the technician to discern which one of your medications is the antidepressant before being able to assist you. Phil knows how to do this on its own and can handle that sort of request very easily.
We know that Phil is a change, and with change always comes some friction. We ask that you give Phil a chance and continue to share your feedback with us about your experience using the AI Agent. Some tips:
Do your best to speak in full sentences such as, “I’d like to refill my cholesterol medication” or “can you check to see if my prescription is ready?”
Just like our human staff, Phil will need to verify your identity by asking a few questions; however, it starts that process before your call is even answered. Based on the Caller ID, the Agent tries to locate the corresponding patient file that is associated with your telephone number; pairing that information with a birthdate validates identity and Phil can then help you with your request. If you are calling on behalf of someone else and your telephone number is not listed on their profile, additional name and birthdate validation will likely be necessary to proceed.
Please know that we are constantly making improvements to refine the flow of these calls. If you have feedback to share with us, please do! Noting the date and time of your call will help us find the recording so that we can use it to improve this new tool. And, really, that’s all Phil is—a (technological) tool. It is not replacing our wonderful staff and if, in the long-term, it’s not the right fit for our community, we’ll pivot.
Finally, know that we are always here for you. If you have a detailed request or need clinical information, just ask to speak to a staff member and Phil will transfer you immediately. Your willingness to let Phil handle the simple things helps us help you—we appreciate you giving the AI Agent a shot (pun intended from John 💉!).
Other helpful things to know:
We often require communication from your provider in order to fill prescriptions and, unfortunately, clinics are becoming harder to reach these days. Many healthcare providers are overworked and understaffed for a variety of reasons, and the decreasing number of providers means those who are still practicing are taking care of an increasing number of patients. For this reason, it is not uncommon for it to take 3 - 5+ business days to hear back from your provider’s clinic. It is our policy to only fax your provider every 3 business days, since faxing more frequently doesn’t appear to lead to better responsiveness. If you’re in a rush to fill your prescription, calling your provider yourself can usually speed up this process.
Most Rx’s expire one calendar year from the date they’re written (e.g., an Rx written on 3/14/2023 will expire on 3/14/2024). Even if an Rx has refills left on its expiration date, those refills will become null and void and a new Rx will be required for future fills.
We require the scanning of a driver’s license or other official ID when picking up controlled medications. Common examples include narcotics, stimulants, and Gabapentin.
If you are going to be traveling and need to fill a prescription early or in a larger days’ supply than usual, please call us 10 - 14 days before you leave for your trip so that we have time to ensure your medication is in stock and submit a “travel override” to your insurance, if needed. We’ll ask you where you’re going and how long you’ll be gone (this is something required by insurance companies). If your insurance won’t cover enough medicine to get you through your trip, you can pay out-of-pocket for the remainder of the medicine you need or your prescription can be transferred to another pharmacy located in the USA, if you’re traveling domestically.
We continue to have difficulty transferring prescriptions from chain pharmacies due to their staff shortages and other service issues. For this reason, we will only contact a chain or mail order pharmacy ONCE to request a prescription transfer; if that attempt fails, it will be your responsibility to request that your care provider send us a new prescription order(s) directly. We are not currently experiencing difficulty transferring prescriptions from independent pharmacies and are happy to do so.
Because the transfer process can take multiple business days, if you currently have less than a one-week supply left of any medication that you plan on filling at our pharmacy moving forward, we recommend that you get a refill at your current pharmacy before requesting that we transfer that prescription.
Eye drops are often packaged in opaque bottles to protect the medication from UV damage, which can make it tough to know how many days’ supply you have left when getting low. We recommend marking on your calendar the day you started using your last bottle or, alternatively, setting a reminder on your smart device or calendar to submit a refill request based on when you opened your last bottle (if the medication has no refills, submit your request a few days earlier!).