HealthTap Medical Group Policy on Prescribing Refills

HealthTap Medical Group Policy on Prescribing Refills

Updated October 6, 2022

HealthTap policy is that refill prescriptions must be adequately supported by appropriate documentation in the medical record.

Patients who need more than 3 medications to be refilled require more care than is possible in a single Urgent Care visit. Doctors who are asked to refill multiple medications should refill only up to 3 of the most urgent medications, and refer their patient for followup in the Virtual Primary Care clinic where a HealthTap PCP can spend more time and arrange sequential visits to assess and manage more complex medical issues (or refer such patients to their own office-based PCP, if they have one).

Medication Refill Requirements:

  1. Doctors must personally evaluate their patients before refilling a prescription. If there is a technical difficulty and the patient is unable to connect for a video consult, a doctor shall not prescribe or refill any medication based only on the “Reason for Visit” written by the patient.

  2. The SOAP note should document the following for each refill:
    1. Name of the condition being treated and prior duration of treatment 
    2. Patient’s response to treatment and any side effects
    3. Name of the original prescribing doctor (ideally including the doctor's address)
    4. Followup plan: Refer patient either to Virtual Primary Care clinic or to their office-based PCP for any future refills
    5. If not currently taking the medication, how long the patient has been off the medication 
    6. Any likely interactions with the patient’s other medications
    7. Results and date of lab tests, if needed for using or monitoring the medication
    8. The date of any previous similar refills given in the Urgent Care clinic
  1. In the Urgent Care clinic, refill prescriptions should be short-term for a maximum of 30 days, with a maximum of 2 additional refills. In the Virtual Primary Care clinic, duration of treatment may be longer, at the discretion of the virtual PCP.