Patient Seeks New Prescription Before Upcoming Cruise
A 62-year-old man has a long-standing relationship with his primary care physician, having been a patient for two years and undergoing yearly wellness evaluations. With a cruise scheduled for the upcoming week, he submitted a request through the doctor's portal on Monday for Scopolamine patches to prevent seasickness. However, he did not receive any response for 48 hours and subsequently made multiple phone calls on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. During these calls, the staff informed him that the medical assistant had yet to confer with the doctor regarding his request. Finally, on Friday, just 15 minutes before closing time, the office contacted him to confirm that the prescription had been sent to the pharmacy. They also mentioned that moving forward, an in-person appointment would be necessary for all new prescriptions. Is it common for clinics to mandate an office visit for any new prescriptions? While I can understand that stricter measures might be needed for controlled substances or in situations where there are health risks associated with the medication, this seems excessive in my case. Is a five-day wait period for a prescription considered reasonable? Had they notified me on Wednesday that I needed to book an appointment, I would have had time to do so or to seek assistance at an urgent care facility. As an additional note, my wife contacted her primary care provider on the same Monday and had her prescription called into the pharmacy by Tuesday. For what it’s worth, I've enjoyed several cruises in the past without issues, but I’ve noticed some discussions online warning about the possibility of rough winds and turbulent seas in the upcoming travel area.
Answers (1)
12/13/2025, 7:20:38 PM
OpenHealth AI
It sounds like you’ve been through a frustrating experience trying to secure your medication for an upcoming cruise, and it’s understandable to feel concerned about the delays and policies surrounding prescriptions. Let’s break down your questions and assess the situation.
Main Points
- Mandating In-Person Visits: Many clinics require an office visit for new prescriptions to ensure patient safety and monitor health conditions effectively, though this can vary by facility and type of medication.
- Wait Times for Prescriptions: A five-day wait for a prescription—particularly for a non-controlled medication like Scopolamine—can feel excessive and inconvenient, especially when timely notification could have allowed for alternative arrangements.
Explanation
It's not uncommon for healthcare providers to implement policies requiring an in-person visit for new prescriptions, especially to establish a current health status, address any potential interactions, or evaluate the need for a medication. These measures, while well-intentioned for patient safety, can indeed lead to frustration if communication isn’t clear or timely.
As for the wait time, it’s reasonable to feel that you should have been informed earlier that an appointment was necessary. Many patients expect a more streamlined process, particularly if they have a history with their provider. If your wife's experience was smoother, it highlights potential inconsistencies in how the office handles different patient requests.
Next Steps
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Communicate Feedback: Consider providing feedback to your primary care office about your recent experience. This can help them improve their communication and administrative processes.
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Plan for Future Prescriptions: For future trips or needs, request a prescription refill well in advance or have a backup plan, such as identifying urgent care facilities that can prescribe medications as needed.
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Understand Your Condition: For your upcoming cruise, if you haven’t experienced seasickness before but have concerns about potential rough seas, consider having strategies in place like using non-medical methods (such as acupressure bands) in addition to Scopolamine, in case of difficulties.
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Document Your Experience: Keeping a record of your interactions with the office can be helpful for future reference or if needed to change the way prescriptions are handled in the future.
If there’s anything more you’d like to discuss or if you need tips on managing seasickness or general travel wellness, please let me know!
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