Getting the most out of Medplus

Appointments

PLEASE GO TO https://medplus.co.nz/services/gp-consultations/ OR LATEST NEWS FOR UPDATES ON HOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICE AT DIFFERENT COVID LEVELS.

• Choose a regular doctor and try to use them at the majority of your visits. At Medplus we strongly believe that continuity of care is very important, and our doctors prefer to get to know their patients well in order to look after them better. You are able to change doctor at wish, just ask our reception team.
• Book ahead so you can get the doctor of your choice for routine appointments; some of our established doctors fill up in advance. When you need to be seen in an emergency or out of hours it may not be your normal doctor.
• Make your appointments online via our portal (open 24/7) or call our friendly receptionists for assistance. At weekends no appointment is needed, but be aware that weekends are busy and really are most appropriate for urgent problems.
• In order that we have sufficent appointments for urgent problems on the day, we operate a triaging system to manage this. If you want an appointment on the day you will receive a phone call from our Triage Doctor or Nurse to find out your needs and get you in at an appropriate time. Please make sure you answer your phone when we call you back.
• Please double check you know whether you are being seen at Medplus Lake Road or Medplus Devonport.
• Make sure you book an appropriate length of time. Our appointments are 15 minutes and that includes the doctor's note keeping time too. If you have a long list of issues, please always prioritise and tell us the most important one first. For women, a smear takes a full 15 minutes, so please book a double appointment if you have other things to discuss. For surgery, medicals or travel medicine please speak to our receptionist about booking an appropriate time.
• Do remember to cancel appointments you cannot keep. We ask that you give us at least 2 hours' notice so that there is an opportunity for the appointment to be taken by someone else. We are entitled to charge a fee for missed appointments. We now send a text to remind you of your appointment the night before.
• Remember your appointment is for one person. If you need to discuss a second person, please make 2 appointments.
• Sometimes new health complaints can take several appointments to get under control, allowing time for investigation and follow up. You may be asked to come back for a review.
• Whilst we endeavour to run on time we often thwarted by the unpredictable nature of our business. If we ever do keep you waiting, we apologise for the inconvenience. One of the commonest reasons for us to run late is because of a late arrival earlier on, so please help us stick to time and arrive in time for your appointment.
• Payment is expected at the time of appointment; we do not offer credit.

Repeat Prescriptions

• If your doctor has indicated that your health condition is stable and that your medications are suited to repeat prescribing you may be able to order repeat prescriptions and see your doctor at a reduced frequency. This is entirely at the determination of your GP who follows strict prescribing protocols.
• Each patient needs to be reviewed at the very minimum of once every year to be able to do a repeat prescription, and depending on the condition it may need to be every 3-6 months.
• The maximum duration of any prescription we can give is for 3 months, apart from the oral contraceptive pill which can be for 6 months.
• For most antidepressants we need to review patients every 3 months and do not offer repeats.
• Repeat prescriptions are ordered on line via our portal at a cost of $25. or slightly more by phone. Please allow 2 weekdays for processing. Remember, your doctor does not sit looking at the portal all day and will check it at least once on days they work, so please do not leave urgent requests via the portal but call our Medical Assistant.
• The charges mentioned above are for pick up of the prescription at the Medplus reception. If you need your prescription sent directly to a pharmacy of your choice we are happy to help. Most local pharmacies can now be emailed at no additional cost. For those pharmacies not set up on our electronic system there will be a $2 handling fee which covers the administrative costs of faxing of the prescription to the pharmacy, follow up posting of the original prescription to the pharmacy and the costs of invoicing.
• No repeats are issued at the weekend because of our reduced staffing levels. If you need more medication you will need a consultation with the GP.
• We are unable to issue repeats to visitors to our practice or for medications not previously prescribed at Medplus.
• Normally repeat prescriptions are collected from our reception desk by the recipient. If someone else is to collect your prescription, we will need authorisation from you to release it. Prescriptions can also be sent to the pharmacy of your choice. If you have an outstanding bill you will have to collect your repeat prescription at Medplus reception and pay your account before pick up.
• If you need a small amount of your medication to allow you time to arrange to see your doctor, please ask for a tie-over prescription so that you do not run out.