Policy for Oral Contraceptive Prescriptions

Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) are an important part of your healthcare and we are happy to help you with that. It is our policy that all females on oral contraceptives are required to have a yearly physical exam in our office. At this time, your physician will renew your prescription for your oral contraceptives. (Prescriptions are usually written with 12 months of refills.)

PLEASE NOTE: A yearly exam is required for the renewal of oral contraceptive prescriptions. There is a one-time one month grace period. Please schedule your yearly physical exam with our office 2-3 months in advance. We recommend making a reminder note on your calendar 3 months before the appointment is needed. Thank you!

Policy for Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) Medications

Medications for your child’s attention disorder are an important part of his/her healthcare and we are happy to help you manage them. It is our policy that all children on medications for ADD or ADHD must have a yearly physical exam with our physicians, as well as medication check-ups every 3-6 months. At that time, our physician will review your child’s health and the effectiveness of the medicine.

Prescriptions for your child’s ADD or ADHD medicine(s) can be written for up to a 90 day supply if your health insurance allows (often through a mail-order pharmacy program). Please check the pharmacy coverage with your health insurance. You will need to call for renewal at the end of that time.

Please call at least 3-5 days before your child’s medicine runs out. When you call, please leave the following information on the voicemail:

• Your child’s name and date of birth
• The name of the medicine
• The dose of the medicine
• How many times your child takes the medicine in one day

Each time you will need to come to the office to pick up the prescription; these prescriptions cannot be called into the pharmacy. (Note: StratteraTM is one medication sometimes prescribed for ADD/ADHD that can be called into the pharmacy.)

Policy for Outside Lab Orders

Note: Our Lab Tech cannot order labs for a patient.   You must see a physician or have signed orders from an outside physician.  If another physician requests labs for your child, please follow these guidelines:

1. Please note that your child must have had a physical within the past year at Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents (CHPA). If your child has not had a physical within the past year, please schedule a physical with CHPA. After the physical exam appointment is scheduled, proceed to step #2.
2. Please fax a written, signed order from the ordering physician to the CHPA lab (fax: 919-968-4219). This order must be received at CHPA before the lab can be scheduled. Please instruct the ordering physician to include:
   • the specific lab needed
   •  the physician’s telephone number
   • the physician’s fax number
   •  the physician’s address
   • the patient’s diagnosis code
   • specific instructions for the patient (e.g. if the patient should be fasting or not)
   • how the physician would like to receive the lab results 
3. Please have the ordering physician sign and fax (919-968-4219) the “Authorization for outside Labs Form” to CHPA.
4. After the above steps are completed, please call CHPA to schedule a lab appointment (942-4173 ext. 103).
5. The lab will obtain necessary waivers and/or consents from the patient/parent before performing lab work.
6. CHPA will perform the requested labs and send the results to the ordering physician. Results will also be sent to the primary care physician at CHPA.
7. Please contact the ordering physician to receive your child’s lab results and an explanation of the lab results.