MDR Patient Resources
HOW TO PLACE A PRESCRIPTION ORDER
It is our policy at MDR Pharmacy to help you place a prescription order. Your prescriber may contact us at (800) 515-3784 to submit a verbal order. We also accept prescriber faxes or electronic prescriptions.
HOW TO OBTAIN A REFILL
It is our policy at MDR Pharmacy to help you quickly obtain a medication refill. We will be available to help you set up your refill for pick up or delivery. If you wish to set up a refill, please contact us at (800) 515-3784. Also, we will gladly assist you with any coordination issues with your medication such as vacation supplies, early refill due to change in therapy, or manufacture replacement due to a defective device, etc.
HOW TO ACCESS MEDICATIONS IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY OR DISASTER
MDR Pharmacy has an emergency plan to provide prescriptions to our customers in case of emergency or disaster. MDR Pharmacy will make reasonable attempts to contact each patient following a disaster to access their needs. MDR Pharmacy will prioritize patients based on the urgency of the need for service. The following local services may be contacted by the patient if needed:
• Local pharmacies near the patient’s address
• The local hospital(s) near the patient’s address
• The local EMS office (911 Services)
• FEMA
HOW TO CHECK ON A PRESCRIPTION ORDER
You may contact us at (800) 515-3784 at any time to check on a prescription order.
INFORMATION ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG SUBSTITUTIONS
The FDA classifies as therapeutically equivalent products that are approved as safe and effective; are pharmaceutical equivalents (i.e., contain identical amounts of the same active drug ingredient in the same dosage form and route of administration and meet compendial or other applicable standards of strength, quality, purity, and identity); are bioequivalent (i.e., do not present a known or potential bioequivalence problem and meet an acceptable in vitro, or in some cases in vivo, or both, standard–or, if they do present such a known or potential problem, are shown to meet an appropriate bioequivalence standard);are adequately labeled; and are manufactured in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations. Products that meet these criteria are considered therapeutically equivalent even though they may differ in certain other characteristics such as shape, scoring configuration, release mechanisms, packaging, excipients (including colorings, flavorings, and preservatives), expiration date/time, minor aspects of labeling (e.g., presence of specific pharmacokinetic information), and storage conditions. The FDA takes the position that when differences of these types are important in the care of a particular patient, it may be appropriate for the prescribing physician to require that a particular brand is dispensed (“dispense as written”) as a medical necessity (“brand medically necessary”). With this limitation, however, the FDA believes that products classified as therapeutically equivalent can be substituted with the full expectation that the substituted product will produce the same clinical effect and safety profile as the prescribed product.
MDR Pharmacy may substitute a generic drug for a prescribed drug unless the prescriber writes, “Dispense as written”. If questions arise as to therapeutic equivalent, MDR Pharmacy will contact the drug manufacturer and consult the FDA Orange Book.
HOW TO TRANSFER A PRESCRIPTION TO ANOTHER PHARMACY
Simply call us at (800) 515-3784, provide the name of the medication along with the name and phone number of the pharmacy the prescription is to be transferred. MDR Pharmacy will contact the pharmacy where your prescription is to be transferred and provide the information needed to fill your prescription. We will inform you if the prescription has no remaining refills so you may contact the prescribing physician.
HOW TO OBTAIN MEDICATIONS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE PHARMACY
MDR Pharmacy will assist the patient to obtain medications that are not available at our pharmacy. We may transfer your prescription to another pharmacy that has the medication prescribed and provide the information needed to fill your prescription.
HOW TO HANDLE MEDICATION RECALLS
Upon receiving notification of a product recall, MDR Pharmacy will take the following steps:
1. Review inventory and records for the disposition of the recalled item.
2. Contact the patient/caregiver by telephone as appropriate to arrange for the exchange of products. MDR Pharmacy notification methods that may be used include:
• Contact you by phone or certified letter
• Contact your emergency contact friend or relative.
• Contact your physician’s office
3. Remove the items(s) from service.
4. Follow the steps recommended by the manufacture and document the steps with the date completed and the signature of the person completing the form.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF MEDICATIONS
Follow any specific disposal instructions on the drug label or patient information that accompanies the medication. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless this information specifically instructs you to do so.
Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Call your city or county government’s household trash and recycling service (see blue pages in phone book) to see if a take-back program is available in your community. The Drug Enforcement Administration, working with state and local law enforcement agencies, is sponsoring National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days throughout the United States.
If no instructions are given on the drug label and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash, but first:
• Take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash.
• Put them in a sealable bag, empty can, or another container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.
Additional tips:
• Before throwing out a medicine container, scratch out all identifying information on the prescription label to make it unreadable. This will help protect your identity and the privacy of your personal health information.
• Do not give medications to friends. Doctors prescribe drugs based on a person’s specific symptoms and medical history. A drug that works for you could be dangerous for someone else.
• When in doubt about proper disposal, talk to your pharmacist.
• The same disposal methods for prescription drugs could apply to over-the-counter drugs as well.
HOW TO HANDLE ADVERSE REACTIONS
An adverse reaction is defined as any unpredictable, unintended, undesirable, and unexpected biological response that a patient may have to medications. Below find a list of the some of the possible adverse reactions that are possible to experience when starting a new medication:
• Headache, tremors, dizziness; muscle spasms, confusion;
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;
• Skin rash or flushing;
• Hypotension (low blood pressure), Hypertension (high blood pressure), arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), tachycardia (high heart rate), or bradycardia (low heart rate);
• Shortness of breath, dyspnea (difficulty in breathing), or respiratory depression (slowed breathing).
If an adverse drug reaction is reported to our clinical staff, the pharmacist shall do a complete clinical assessment with the patient and based on his/her clinical judgment will formulate a plan of action. This plan of action could include counseling you on common preventative measures if a known and manageable adverse reaction is reported or contacting your physician to obtain instructions that may involve discontinuing the medication, or modifying the dose.
GRIEVANCE / COMPLAINT REPORTING
You may complain without concern for reprisal, discrimination, or unreasonable interruption of service. To place a grievance, please call (800) 515-3784 and speak to customer services. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction within 5 working days, you may initiate a formal grievance, in writing and forward it to the Governing Body.
You can expect a written response within 14 working days or receipt.
You may also make inquiries or complaints about this company by contacting the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) at 919-785-1214 or the California State Board of Pharmacy at (916) 574-7900 or http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/consumers/complaint_info.shtml.
PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Click Here to download a copy of our Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.
PATIENT COUNSELING
Click Here to download a copy of our Illinois Patient Counseling Guideline.