Can 111 Gp Prescribe Antibiotics Over The Phone 23
I’m concerned I have a kidney infection.Waiting until 8pm to see if 7pm paracetamol has touched fever / pain before I call.
Frangipane · 10/05/2019 19:39
No, but if you have previous history if this condition and can convince an out of hours doc that you know what is wrong with you, they do sometimes prescribe ABs over the phone. I have experienced this, when I had cystitis .
tessiegirl · 10/05/2019 19:40
Yes they can. I had a uti and i called 111 as it was a Sunday. The gp called me back and organised a prescription for antibiotics that I had to go and collect from a pharmacy.
DoomOnTheBroom · 10/05/2019 19:41
I think it depends on the GP and your symptoms. I’ve had a three day course prescribed over the phone before, it was sent to the local pharmacy for me to pick up. GP said based on symptoms he was satisfied that it was a UTI, if symptoms got worse or it hasn’t cleared up after the three days then I should attend the walk-in or see my own GP.
Get Your Antibiotics Prescription
If youve got a bacterial infection, odds are youre going to need antibiotics. Leaving a bacterial infection untreated is not only painful but can have serious consequences. When left alone bacteria quickly spread from the infection site to other areas of the body. Luckily, our network of board-certified doctors is standing by to diagnose your infection and prescribe antibiotics online.
Fighting Urinary Tract Infections With A Phone Call
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Painful bladder infections, which send millions of women to doctors each year, can often be treated safely with just a phone call and a prescription.
Women treated over the telephone by nurses or doctors who prescribed antibiotics based on the women’s symptoms and medical histories are just as likely to recover and be satisfied with their care as women having the usual time-consuming office appointment, a Michigan study has found.
”The findings of this study can be generalized to most office practices where generally healthy women show up with urinary infections,” said Dr. Henry C. Barry, the lead researcher in the study, published in The Journal of Family Practice.
Some doctors have been treating recurring bladder infections by telephone for years, but the study was the first to include a comparison group and a rigorous scientific design, said Dr. Steven Schaefer, who is in charge of urinary tract infection management for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. Dr. Schaefer was not involved in the experiment.
Men also develop bladder infections, but far less often than women do.
Elizabeth Votruba, 87, of East Lansing, Mich., has had repeated bladder infections. Although not part of Dr. Barry’s study, she now has infections treated routinely over the phone.
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Poll: Does Your Doctor Prescribe Medication Over The Phone
K.J.
After the umpteenth middle-of-the-night page from my husbands patients who are looking for scrips over the phone, I decided to ask the greater Mamasource community what your opinions are.
Does your doctor prescribe meds over the phone, without having seen you in the office for the particular ailment? If so, why do you think it is a good idea to do so. If not, do you WISH your doctor would?
My husbands group of doctors has a very strict policy about not prescribing over the phone, but so many patients seem completely shocked when he tells the patient this. So, what do you think?
Can I Get A Prescription Without Seeing A Doctor In Person
It depends. The rapid growth of telemedicine, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has improved accessibility to care for many people, but not all health issues can be addressed online. Each state also has their own laws about what can be e-prescribed without an in-person appointment or a previously established patient-provider relationship.
Many healthcare providers see telemedicine as a low-risk option for certain routine treatments. In an internal GoodRx survey, 50% of prescribers said they would be comfortable prescribing routine medications for non-severe problems without seeing a patient in person. Seventy-five percent of prescribers said theyd be comfortable doing so for refills for an ongoing treatment . You will inevitably still need to consult a healthcare provider if you need a new prescription but this may look different depending on the type of telemedicine service you choose.
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Can You Buy Amoxicillin Online
You can buy amoxicillin online after receiving an amoxicillin prescription from a licensed doctor. If your doctor determines that an antibiotic such as amoxicillin would be an appropriate part of your treatment plan, then your prescription would electronically be sent to a pharmacy, where you could purchase the amoxicillin you were prescribed. Book an appointment with an online doctor at PlushCare to learn more about amoxicillin and other treatment options.
Safety Is Our Priority
As COVID-19 continues to be a concern across our country, MinuteClinic remains a safe and convenient option for care. While you can easily make an appointment online at MinuteClinic.com, we also accept walk-in patients at many of our clinics.
We have new protocols in place to help keep our customers and our providers safe and we are asking customers to wear a mask throughout their visit. Were also taking extra steps to clean and disinfect the kiosk and the clinic between visits, and are making sure that our providers have the appropriate PPE, including gloves, masks and protective eyewear.
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Lower Costs And Use Of Insurance
While a telemedicine visit is likely to save you some money, the cost will vary depending on what medical services youre looking for. A 10-minute general consultation for common issues starts at around $15, while a 45-minute psychiatric consultation can run you about $250.
Many telemedicine providers accept insurance or partner with specific insurers or employers to offer lower fees . Providers that dont accept insurance may still be more affordable than your insurance copay for an in-person doctors visit.
Many private insurance plans will cover a telemedicine visit. Ask your insurance company what your coverage includes and whether you need prior approval for telehealth services before making an appointment.
Medicare and Medicaid have also expanded telemedicine coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Medicare will pay for office, hospital, and other visits for several types of providers. Medicaid coverage for telemedicine varies by state.
Why Do You Need A Prescription For Oral Antibiotics
- Overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Taking oral antibiotics unnecessarily can cause harm to people and encourage bacteria to mutate into super bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Doctors are trained to know when it is appropriate and necessary to prescribe antibiotics.
- Different antibiotics treat different bacteria, and you would need to know which bacteria you were treating in order to correctly purchase an antibiotic over the counter, something best left to a licensed physician to determine.
- Antibiotics have side effects and may interact with other medications and medical conditions. A physician can ensure you are not taking an antibiotic that is dangerous for you. They will also monitor any side effects you may experience to ensure you are not having a negative reaction to the medication.
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Which Medications Can I Get Prescribed
In the ACT, any medication can be prescribed via telehealth. However, in NSW there are restrictions which apply to schedule 8 medications such as strong pain killers or stimulants and schedule 4 Appendix D medications . If you have any questions about this or want to find out more, please speak to your doctor or GP.
Help With Your Prescriptions
Pharmacists can answer your questions about your prescription medicines some even answer questions over the phone. Whenever you think you want to change treatment, stop taking medicine, or have concerns about the effects, ask your pharmacist. They will help you figure out the next course of action.
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Healthcare For 80% Less
Note: These are suggestions to use alongside your doctors treatment plan, not to replace any medical advice.
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What About Prescription Repeats
If your prescription includes repeats you will need to have all future repeats dispensed from the same pharmacy that dispensed your first supply. Under Australian Government legislation, pharmacists must keep the original and all repeats at the pharmacy for future dispensing if it is a digital image or faxed prescription. You should contact your pharmacy when you need to have your next repeat so they can dispense it for you.
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Reasons To Book A Phone Doctor Appointment Today
There are a number of reasons to book an appointment through a phone doctor app or website, the first and foremost of which is convenience. It couldnt be more simple to book the actual appointment.
Then, theres the fact that theres no need to find childcare, drive anywhere, or even put pants on if you dont want to. For those who live in a rural setting from which it is difficult to get to a doctors office, this can save hours of time not to mention gas costs and tolls.
Theres also the fact that doctors offices are usually only open during the work week. Taking time off from work to go see a doctor is a hardship for most people especially for a minor illness. That issue is eliminated when using a telehealth provider.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly is avoiding waiting, both for the appointment date and in the waiting room. It may take days to get into see your primary care physician or even weeks to see a specialist. You can expect to wait hours in the emergency room and 45 minutes or more in urgent care. All of this is avoided with a phone doctor appointment.
Whom Do I Turn To For General Advice About My Health And Wellbeing
If you have general medical concerns, its best to see your GP with the NHS or private practice. They should have formal qualifications and practical experience in providing healthcare services to give you health advice. If you need follow-up appointments, this should be discussed during your first visit.
If you have an urgent medical problem, get help from NHS 111 online or by phone. They will tell you where to:
- Get help based on your symptoms
- Find reliable health information
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How K Health Can Help
Did you know you can get affordable primary care with the K Health app?
If you have any more concerns or questions about when to take antibiotics, or if you think you have a bacterial infection that would require antibiotic treatment, simply reach out to our certified clinicians at any time.
to check your symptoms, explore conditions and treatments, and, if needed, text with a doctor in minutes.
K Healths AI-powered app is HIPAA compliant and based on 20 years of clinical data.
And What About The Drawbacks
Despite its constant progress, online medical appointments don’t offer full coverage when it comes to healthcare. Here are some of the main drawbacks it faces:
- Availability: Although internet access has become an essential part of society, not everyone has it. This can cut off potential patients from the service, even though these are usually the ones most likely to benefit from it.
- Limitations: Online doctors can offer plenty of treatments, but they can’t do it all. For any in-depth investigations, patients still have to be referred to in-person appointments for examinations, blood tests, and imaging.
- Cost: The infrastructure and equipment needed for telehealth can be exorbitant for smaller healthcare facilities, especially if they require upgrades.
- Regulations: It’s harder to enforce regulations in online appointments, especially as they can vary significantly from state to state and can be quite different from those affecting in-person healthcare.
- Training: Medical professionals will have to receive further training to provide a good standard of healthcare online, especially by adhering to all regulations that affect online spaces differently, such as data protection.
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When Should You Use An Online Doctor
You should see an online doctor anytime you require treatment for non-emergency medical or behavioral health conditions. While online doctors are not meant to replace your primary care provider, urgent care provider, or the emergency room many non-life threatening conditions can be treated onlineand in many cases, an online visit can replace an in-person visit. If seeing your primary care provider is requiredyour online doctor will tell yousaving you both time and money when a visit is not required.
Impact Of Remote Consultations On Antibiotic Prescribing Behavior
The main findings are outlined in , with confidence intervals and P values reported where available. In most studies, the impact of remote consultation on antibiotic prescribing was measured by the percentage of consultations with one or more antibiotic prescriptions for each type of consultation. This measure has been uniformly referred to as the antibiotic-prescribing rate in this review, following the practice in the included studies.
We found 3 studies that reported the antibiotic-prescribing rate to be higher in remote settings than face-to-face consultations . The difference in prescribing rate ranged from 5% to 50% . Penza et al found this relationship for both telephone and text-based e-visits, but only the difference in telephone consultations was statistically significant . Another study concluded that fewer antibiotics were avoided for bronchitis patients consulting over the phone patients were more likely to receive an antibiotic for the same condition when consulting remotely .
We also found 3 cohort studies that reported patients were more likely to be prescribed an antibiotic through face-to-face consultations . The differences in prescribing rates were generally smaller in these studies 1 study found a 1% difference , and the largest difference observed was 25.7% . Additionally, 2 moderate-quality studies, an RCT and a retrospective cohort study, noted no significant difference in prescribing rate between the different settings .
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Make Sure You Understand The Risks And Benefits Of Our Uti Service
Our doctors or nurse practitioners look at the answers you give to our health questions to decide if you have an uncomplicated UTI that we can treat appropriately online. Depending on your symptoms and medical history, we may tell you that we cant give you a prescription and that you have to see a doctor or nurse practitioner in person.
We use evidence-based guidelines to make sure we ask you the right questions to determine if you have a UTI, but sometimes well get it wrong. If we get our diagnosis wrong then well either give you an antibiotic that you dont need or well decline to give you an antibiotic when actually an antibiotic is what you need. If we give you a medicine you dont need then youll be at risk of the potentially serious side effects, and itll increase the chance that any future infections will be resistant to the antibiotic we prescribe. In the second situation well delay you getting the correct care.
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Is There A Urine Test
Often, if a physician suspects a woman has a UTI, then we are able to treat it without any testing, Chiang said . However, if testing is needed, a urine sample will be collected.
When giving a urine sample, it is important to do a clean-catch to ensure accurate test results.
To do this, first, wash your hands, then sit on the toilet with your legs spread apart. If you are female, use the wipe given to you to clean around the labia and where urine exits the body, then hold the labia open and urinate a small amount into the toilet. Stop the flow of urine, then resume urinating into the cup given to you. Fill the cup no more than halfway. If you need further instruction, then feel free to ask the staff.
Without carefully following these steps, the sample may be contaminated by normal bacteria from your skin, yielding unclear or confusing results, Stafford said.
The urine will then likely be tested in the clinic with a urine test strip or dipstick that gives immediate results. The urine may also be sent to a lab where they look for more reliable information, but this can take a few days. In most labs, a sample that shows signs of an infection will be cultured to identify a specific bacteria type and its susceptibility to various antibiotics.
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Questions Your Doctor May Ask
When your provider enters the room , the first question youre likely to be asked is What brings you in today?
This question offers physicians an opportunity to hear your perspective on your symptoms so your concerns can be prioritized, says Stanford physician Randall Stafford, MD, PhD.
From here, doctors will likely ask follow up questions to pinpoint whether this is a UTI and formulate the best treatment plan. Questions include:
- When did your symptoms start?
- Do you have foul-smelling or irregularly colored urine or vaginal discharge?
- Are you lightheaded or dizzy?
- Do you have a fever or chills?
- Are you hydrating?
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