How will this module help me implement annual renewals?
Describes strategies to simplify implementing a new annual prescription renewal process.
Provides answers to questions that your staff may have about an annual prescription renewal process.
Shares advice on what you may encounter when implementing annual prescription renewal.
What is annual prescription renewal?
Annual prescription renewal is the process of renewing all of a patient's stable medications for the typical maximum duration of 12 to 15 months. This does not change the frequency of your patient's office visits.
How much time and money per year will an annual prescription renewal process save my practice?
Consider a hypothetical scenario of an internal medicine practice that has not implemented an annual prescription renewal process. This practice has 1,000 patients with chronic illness with an average of five medications per patient. Every year, each patient makes an average of two calls per prescription. Each call lasts about two minutes. These factors result in more than 300 hours of physician and staff time spent on prescription renewals per year.
Interactive Calculator: Annual Prescription Renewal
The calculators below will generate the estimated amount of time saved per year and the estimated annual savings that could be gained by implementing an annual prescription renewal process.
Three STEPS to annual prescription renewals
Quiz Ref IDAt a dedicated annual comprehensive care visit, renew all medications for chronic illness for the maximum duration allowed by state law.
Include instructions for the pharmacy on all prescription modifications and renewals as applicable.
Take the opportunity to renew all of the patient's prescriptions for chronic conditions when you receive a prescription renewal request.
Step 1 At a dedicated annual comprehensive care visit, renew all medications for chronic illness for the maximum duration allowed by state law.
The annual comprehensive care visit is a good time to renew all medications for chronic illness because during this visit the patient's medical history is thoroughly reviewed, including past and present conditions and medications. Quiz Ref IDDuring this visit all medications for chronic illness should be renewed for the maximum duration (12 to 15 months in most states). When a patient has received prescriptions for their chronic conditions for the upcoming year, they will not need to call the office for refills, and they will not have any unanticipated gaps in medication adherence.
Step 2 Include instructions for the pharmacy on all prescription modifications and renewals as applicable.
A standard notification indicating that a medication is being discontinued or a new dose replaces a previous one can accompany the electronic prescription submitted to the pharmacy. This allows the pharmacy to update its list of the patient's current prescribed medications. This will also lessen the chances that the patient continues to fill both the old and the new prescriptions.
Quiz Ref IDAs a courtesy, we recommend alerting the pharmacy that the patient may not need to fill the renewed prescription right away to avoid dispensing the medication before the patient needs it.
Step 3 Take the opportunity to renew all of the patient's prescriptions for chronic conditions when you receive a prescription renewal request.
During a busy workday it may be tempting to renew only the requested medication. However, renewing all prescriptions at the time of one medication request will reduce the subsequent number of calls for prescription refills, especially during the first year.
Quiz Ref IDThere is no need to calculate the number of refills necessary to last the patient until the next annual visit. It is easier to renew prescriptions for the maximum duration (i.e., 90 days and 4 refills). You should synchronize all of the prescriptions at the next annual comprehensive care visit, by renewing all for the maximum duration, whether or not there are refills remaining on the old prescription.
Annual prescription renewal can help your practice function more efficiently and save time. To put this approach into action, use the step-by-step guide provided in this module and the corresponding implementation checklist.
standing ordersstanding orders:
A protocol-driven approach for providing care, such as established procedures for renewing prescriptions and ordering laboratory tests and health screenings. State laws and regulations may address to whom and what can be delegated by standing order.