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Frequently asked questions: Ordering prescriptions and drug coverage1. How do I order a new prescription through the web page? 3. How does the pharmacy receive my new prescription? 4. How do I get my prescriptions refilled? 5. How long does it take to get my prescription refilled? 6. What pharmacy insurance plans does the pharmacy accept? 7. What forms of payment are accepted? 8. Do I have prescription drug coverage? 9. Do you ship/mail or deliver prescriptions, and if so, what is the cost? 10. How long will it take to get a prescription by mail? 12. I have Medicare coverage. Will Medicare pay for my prescriptions? 14. Are generic drugs as safe and as effective as the brand name drug? 17. Why do some of my medications have a higher copay? 1. How do I order a new prescription through the web page?Go to the first page of the Allina Community Pharmacies web page. Select "new prescription" and follow the prompts that you will receive. 2. I would like to order a prescription for my family member but we don’t have separate e-mails. How do I fill out the form?When logging in with your ID and password, your personal information automatically pops up. You can change those fields for the person you are ordering the prescription for. This will only change for this one prescription order. Your personal information will remain the same until you go into the edit your account. 3. How does the pharmacy receive my new prescription?The pharmacy can receive the prescription via phone or fax from the physician. The patient may also fax the prescription to the pharmacy. However, the pharmacy would need the original prescription before releasing the processed prescription to the patient. 4. How do I get my prescriptions refilled?You may call the pharmacy, e-mail or order a prescription via the web page. The pharmacy needs the following information - patient's name, prescription number and name of the medication. If you do not know the prescription number, you may give patient's birth date and/or social security number to find the record. 5. How long does it take to get my prescription refilled?A refill prescription can be ready in 24 hours if there are refills remaining on your prescription. It is usually helpful if you can allow four to seven days in the event that the doctor's office must be called for refill authorizations. The doctor's offices are often too busy to get back to the pharmacies the same day they are called. If there was an urgent need for the medication before the refills are authorized, you could discuss this with your pharmacist. 6. What pharmacy insurance plans does the pharmacy accept?The Allina Community Pharmacies accept most insurance plans. We are a provider for most of the national plans, and all plans that are commonly used in Minnesota. If you present an insurance card for which the pharmacy is NOT a provider, the pharmacy will try to become a provider for that plan for your future prescriptions. 7. What forms of payment are accepted?You may pay by cash, check or credit/debit card or Benny card. All pharmacies take Visa and MasterCard and some are able to take Discover Card. 8. Do I have prescription drug coverage?Anyone enrolled in an Allina medical plan is automatically enrolled in the Allina Employee Prescription Drug program. If not enrolled in the Allina medical plan, call the customer service phone number on the back of the card and ask if you have prescription coverage. Be sure to ask the copay amount. 9. Do you ship/mail or deliver prescriptions, and if so, what is the cost?,Any of the pharmacies will mail out a prescription. However, if you want most or all of your prescriptions mailed, Ritchie Medical Plaza Pharmacy should be your pharmacy. They serve as our pharmacy for mailing. There is no charge to you for the mailing. 10. How long will it take to get a prescription by mail?The pharmacy should have the prescription in the mail within four to seven business days of receiving the order. 11. I have been using another pharmacy, but I would like to fill my prescriptions at Allina Community Pharmacies now. What should I do?A prescription can easily be transferred to Allina Community Pharmacies. Call, stop in or e-mail the pharmacy at one of the Allina Community Pharmacies where you would like the prescriptions filled. Provide the name and phone number of the pharmacy that you have been using, the prescription number if known and the name of the medication. The pharmacist will call the original pharmacy and have the prescription transferred to Allina Community Pharmacy. Once the prescription is transferred, Allina Community Pharmacies will be able to process your prescription. 12. I have Medicare coverage. Will Medicare pay for my prescriptions?Medicare does not pay for most prescription medications. They will pay for the following types of medications - diabetic supplies and insulin, oral chemotherapeutic agents and immunosuppressant medications. Some Medicare patients have supplemental insurance that may pay for a portion of a prescription. Check your policy to find out if you are unsure. 13. My physician says that I will be on this medication for the rest of my life. Why does the pharmacist tell me that my prescription has no refills on it?There are several reasons why this may happen: All prescriptions will expire. Most prescriptions are valid for one year from the time that the prescription was written. Some prescriptions are valid for only six months or five refills whichever comes first and still others can only be filled one time regardless of what is written on the prescription. There may be times when your prescription bottle says you have refills but in actuality the original prescription has expired. The pharmacy must get authorization from your physician to continue to fill the prescription for you.
The expiration date of your prescription is found on the prescription label. (Exp. 4/30/03) Sometimes the physician does not authorize refills on your prescription, or you have used up all of the authorized refills. When this happens, the pharmacist must get authorization from the physician in order to give you any more medications. When a physician writes a prescription for a chronic medication, ask him if he would put refills on it for one year, if appropriate. Although these scenarios are sometimes bothersome, they are in effect for your safety. It is important that the physician monitors the effectiveness of the medication in your condition, and also check to see if medication or treatment changes are needed due to your condition improving or worsening. 14. Are generic drugs as safe and as effective as the brand name drug?Yes, generic drugs should be as effective and definitely are as safe as brand name drugs. Generic drugs must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Generic drugs contain the exact same active ingredients as the brand name drugs. The FDA requires proof from generic manufacturers that their drug is bioequivalent to brand name drugs. This means that the drug is absorbed into the body at the same rate and in the same manner, and that they produce the same effects. Generics are held to the same manufacturing standards that brand name companies must uphold. This means that the generic drug is just as pure and safe as its brand name version. Generic manufacturers sometimes use different nonactive ingredients in their products, but these changes do not altar the effectiveness of the drug. Generic products may look different in shape or color from the brand name products. Why do generic drugs cost less? The manufacturers of generic drug products are able to sell the products for less because they do not incur the product development and advertising costs that a brand name manufacturer incurs. 15. I have prescription insurance yet sometimes I am told that the medication that was ordered by my physician is not covered by my insurance. Why would this happen?Most insurance plans have their own drug formulary (list of medications that they will cover). There are many similar drugs available for treating certain conditions. Each insurance will have at least one drug available to treat a medical condition. In most cases, the drug on the insurance formulary would be a good alternative for your medication. The insurance plans use this as a means of cost containment and thus keeping their premiums down. 16. If my physician authorizes refills of my prescriptions, how can my insurance plan or the pharmacist say it is too soon for me to get my medication?The insurance plans and the pharmacist monitor your use of a medication. You are allowed to refill a prescription within a window of time when the majority of medication should have been used up. If you need the medication too soon, the pharmacist will ask how you are taking the medication. If you are taking more of the medication, it's possible that you misunderstood the directions, or you may need a change in the dose or medication. This is also done so medications are not stockpiled at home in the event that the medication is discontinued or the dose is changed. If you need a prescription filled early because you are going on vacation, let the pharmacy staff know this, and they can call the insurance company. Usually the insurance plan will authorize the filling of a one-time vacation supply. 17. Why do some of my medications have a higher copay?Some prescription plans are set up with a lower copay for generic drugs and a higher copay for brand name drugs. Generally the cost for generic medications is much less than a brand name product. The lower copay is used to encourage the use of generic products, if it is available. The generic product should be just as effective as the brand name product. Some insurance plans have a higher copay for a brand name drug even if there is no generic available. Again this is because of the high cost of new medications. |
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Allina Community Pharmacies
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