How to Refill Your Prescription From the Anesthesia Pain Service

This information explains how to refill your prescription from the Anesthesia Pain Service between your appointments.

About Refilling Your Prescription

• When you need to refill your prescription for your medication from the Anesthesia Pain Service, call your pain doctor or nurse at least 4 to 5 business days (Monday through Friday) before you’re out of medication.
• Do not wait until you finished your medication to call. Refilling your prescription may take a few days. If you wait until you run out of medication, you may miss a dose.
• All prescriptions are sent to your pharmacy electronically (over the Internet). Your doctor cannot call these prescriptions into your pharmacy.

You can call the Anesthesia Pain Service at 212-639-6851, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you call after 3 p.m., your doctor may not call you back until the next business day.

Your doctor cannot refill your prescription on Saturday, Sunday, or after 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office is closed, and the service is covered for emergencies only.

Steps to Refill Your Prescription

Here are the steps to refill your prescription.

• When you call your pain doctor or nurse to request your refill, they will ask you for the following information:
  • The name of your medication.
  • The dose of your medication.
  • The pharmacy you want the prescription sent to.
  • Your phone number so they can contact you if they have questions.
• Your doctor will check a statewide registry before writing the prescription. If they have questions about how you’re using the medication, they may talk with you before they refill your prescription.
• Then, your doctor must sign off on the new prescription. This may not happen until the end of the day.
• Once your doctor signs off on the prescription, it’s sent to your pharmacy electronically.
• Once your pharmacy gets the prescription, they must check with your insurance company to make sure it’s covered. Sometimes, your insurance company will have questions before they let the pharmacy process the prescription.
  • Your medication may need prior authorization from your insurance company. It may take 1 to 3 days to get approval or denial. If it’s denied, your doctor will need to prescribe a different pain medication.
• Your pharmacy will refill your prescription. If they do not have your medication in stock, they may need to order the medication.