“Expedited service” means same-day fulfillment of a request that often involves prioritizing a request before those of other patients. As regards refills, expedited service means sending the refill as soon as possible after receiving the request, usually within THE hour, before others who are actually ahead in the refill queue.
EXPEDITED SERVICE INCURS A SURCHARGE. The current fee for expedited service is $50.00. The purpose of this surcharge is to encourage patients to plan ahead, request early, and to be patient. The surcharge is designed to discourage urgent requests; it serves to prevent daily storms of requests from patients who are completely out of medication, or who have another reason for needing same-day service. This said, SPC is a concierge practice; offering high-quality care and VIP service is always my primary goal. Being of service to my patients is never a “bother,” and there is never any need to apologize (AS PATIENTS OFTEN DO) when an individual who finds that there is not enough time for their request to be honored accepts and authorizes the fee. In this way, despite otherwise strict protocols, patients in extenuating circumstances are nonetheless able to have their needs met. The fee also ensures fairness to all patients, who are otherwise served on a first-come basis.
Importantly, expedited service is not always available. To begin with, I have to see (or hear) a patient’s message in a timely manner, and although I try to be diligent, I may simply not be available at the time of the request. In particular, Portal messages are generally not reviewed on a daily basis; all expedited requests should be made via text or voice messaging. Patients are welcome to send multiple messages for these urgent requests, but same-day service, even for those willing to pay extra, is not always feasible and can never be guaranteed.
Also important is to always indicate authorization of the expedited fee. Patients will often request that a refill be sent “today,” or, “before I leave town tomorrow,” etc., ignoring the need to allow 3-5 business days for all routine requests and failing to acknowledge that they are requesting special service. In these instances I may ask for clarification, but otherwise requests for same- or next-day service which fail to explicitly authorize the surcharge will be treated in routine fashion. It is the patient’s responsibility to make their requests explicit.
Tip #1: for fastest service, text (texting is always preferred) and follow all protocols. Patients who are overdue or who do not have a follow-up appointment scheduled, including those who promise to schedule a follow-up in the very near future, will be denied the first time they ask, and this could delay fulfillment of their request by a day or more if I do not again turn my attention to processing refills before leaving the office. Even if the defect is immediately corrected, I am working through an often-lengthy queue, and I do not usually circle back to check for new messages from those patients whose requests were initially denied. Meticulous requests are most easily handled with speed and efficiency.
Tip #2: while it is certainly not a requirement, it is a good idea to begin texts that request expedited service with the words “EXPEDITED REQUEST:” in capital letters. This not only will indicate that you authorize the surcharge, but it will also cause your message to stand out. The preview list contains only the first few words of each message, indicating little more than how many patients have reached out to me and who is waiting for a response, but if I see “EXPEDITED…” then it is far more likely that A request will come to my attention sooner rather than later. Again, not a requirement, just a tip!
Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and for helping to keep the clinic running smoothly and efficiently.
EXPEDITED SERVICE INCURS A SURCHARGE. The current fee for expedited service is $50.00. The purpose of this surcharge is to encourage patients to plan ahead, request early, and to be patient. The surcharge is designed to discourage urgent requests; it serves to prevent daily storms of requests from patients who are completely out of medication, or who have another reason for needing same-day service. This said, SPC is a concierge practice; offering high-quality care and VIP service is always my primary goal. Being of service to my patients is never a “bother,” and there is never any need to apologize (AS PATIENTS OFTEN DO) when an individual who finds that there is not enough time for their request to be honored accepts and authorizes the fee. In this way, despite otherwise strict protocols, patients in extenuating circumstances are nonetheless able to have their needs met. The fee also ensures fairness to all patients, who are otherwise served on a first-come basis.
Importantly, expedited service is not always available. To begin with, I have to see (or hear) a patient’s message in a timely manner, and although I try to be diligent, I may simply not be available at the time of the request. In particular, Portal messages are generally not reviewed on a daily basis; all expedited requests should be made via text or voice messaging. Patients are welcome to send multiple messages for these urgent requests, but same-day service, even for those willing to pay extra, is not always feasible and can never be guaranteed.
Also important is to always indicate authorization of the expedited fee. Patients will often request that a refill be sent “today,” or, “before I leave town tomorrow,” etc., ignoring the need to allow 3-5 business days for all routine requests and failing to acknowledge that they are requesting special service. In these instances I may ask for clarification, but otherwise requests for same- or next-day service which fail to explicitly authorize the surcharge will be treated in routine fashion. It is the patient’s responsibility to make their requests explicit.
Tip #1: for fastest service, text (texting is always preferred) and follow all protocols. Patients who are overdue or who do not have a follow-up appointment scheduled, including those who promise to schedule a follow-up in the very near future, will be denied the first time they ask, and this could delay fulfillment of their request by a day or more if I do not again turn my attention to processing refills before leaving the office. Even if the defect is immediately corrected, I am working through an often-lengthy queue, and I do not usually circle back to check for new messages from those patients whose requests were initially denied. Meticulous requests are most easily handled with speed and efficiency.
Tip #2: while it is certainly not a requirement, it is a good idea to begin texts that request expedited service with the words “EXPEDITED REQUEST:” in capital letters. This not only will indicate that you authorize the surcharge, but it will also cause your message to stand out. The preview list contains only the first few words of each message, indicating little more than how many patients have reached out to me and who is waiting for a response, but if I see “EXPEDITED…” then it is far more likely that A request will come to my attention sooner rather than later. Again, not a requirement, just a tip!
Thank you for your patience and cooperation, and for helping to keep the clinic running smoothly and efficiently.
