office policies
Office Policies
Patient Responsibility
It is your responsibility as a patient to ensure that you are compliant with the following policies:
- Regularly attending appointments at the intervals determined by your provider
- Keeping track of your medication refill status and knowing if you will run out prior to your next appointment
No-Show Policy
Not showing up to appointment wastes the time and effort of our staff, and we wish to avoid this.
Please cancel any appointments that you cannot make with minimum 24-hour advance notice to avoid being counted as a "no-show" or incur the following fees:
- < 24 hrs prior to an intake appt = $100 cancellation fee
- < 24 hrs prior to a follow-up appt = $50 cancellation fee
Termination
Repeated instances of no-shows or cancellations not made in accordance with our company policies, you will be issued a written warning the 2nd time, then it will be considered just cause for termination and your chart will be closed with our practice.
Controlled Substance Policy
We may prescribe controlled substances to clients at times. The following restrictions are mandated:
- Our prescribers do not prescribe benzodiazepines as first-line treatment for anxiety due to high potential for dependence.
- Our prescribers do not prescribe benzodiazepines to patients who are currently maintained on opioid medications or methadone nor will they continue this combination for new clients seeking to transfer their care from another prescriber due to high risk of overdose.
- Controlled substances will not be refilled earlier than the prescribed interval nor will we change the dose or frequency of a controlled medication so that you can obtain an early refill.
- Controlled substances will not be replaced if they are lost, damaged or stolen.
- Initial drug screen is mandatory. Random drug screens and pill counts will be requested at our discretion.
- Pharmacy refill requests are not accepted for controlled substances.
Medication Refill Policy
At Integrated Psychiatric Services, we are committed to providing you with the best possible care, however we are not a 24-hour facility. Timely request for medication refills is the patient’s responsibility.
To ensure appropriate care and respect for both patients and providers, it is advisable to follow these guidelines:
- Please allow 3 business days for processing. It is your responsibility to notify our clinic at least 72 hours prior to running out of medicine.
- Medication refills will be made only at the time of an office visit or during regular office hours. If you do not have a future appointment scheduled when a refill request is made, then your request will not be processed until you have done so.
- Refills generally will not be given after office hours, during the weekends, and on holidays, so please schedule your appointments accordingly.
- Plan Ahead:
Anticipate your prescription refill needs and make sure you have an adequate supply of medication to last through weekends and holidays. Take into account any upcoming vacations or holidays when healthcare providers may have limited availability.
- Respect Emergency Procedures: If you have a genuine emergency or urgent medical need, follow the appropriate emergency procedures in your area. If you run out of medication at a time when our office is closed, please head to the nearest emergency room if your health is a risk.
- Please do not contact providers directly after business hours, on weekends and holidays for requesting prescription refills. Contacting providers directly after business hours, on weekends, or during holidays for non-urgent matters, such as requesting emergency prescription refills, may disrupt their personal time and prevent them from fully recharging and being available for emergencies and critical patient needs.
- Any messages left on our answering machine will not be checked until the next business day and cannot be used for rapid communication after business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
