If your medication is prescription-only, we need a valid prescription before we can dispense it. But you do not need to worry about whether every detail is filled out perfectly before sending it to us.
Our pharmacy reviews the prescription when we receive it. If information is missing, the prescription has expired or has no refills left, or something needs clarification, we will work directly with your doctor or veterinarian to sort it out whenever possible.
What information should the prescription contain?
A prescription should give our pharmacist enough information to know exactly what the prescriber intends for the patient.
That generally includes:
- the patient's name;
- the medication and strength;
- directions for use;
- the quantity to dispense;
- the number of refills, if any; and
- the prescriber's name and contact information.
Depending on the prescription, other information may also be required.
You do not need to check the prescription against this list yourself. If something is missing or unclear, our pharmacy team will identify it and coordinate with the prescriber.
How can the prescription get to SimplePills?
There are three common ways.
You send it to us
If your doctor or veterinarian gives the prescription to you, you can send it to SimplePills yourself. If you are placing the order online, you can upload it during checkout. You can also send it to us afterward.
Once we receive it, we can connect it to your order. If you have not placed an order yet, we will contact you and help you get started.
Your prescriber sends it directly
Your doctor or veterinarian can also send the prescription directly to our pharmacy.
If the prescription arrives before you have placed an order, we will contact you. From there, you can place the order yourself or we can help you place it over the phone.
We request it from your prescriber
If you do not have the prescription yourself, SimplePills can contact your prescriber and request it for you.
This can be useful when you are placing a new order and the prescriber already has the prescription, or when you need another prescription because the previous one has expired or has no refills remaining.
Depending on how the prescriber's office prefers to communicate, we may call, fax, or email the request.
What happens while we are waiting for the prescription?
If we need to coordinate with your doctor or veterinarian, we will let you know that we are waiting for the prescription so you know where the order stands.
We will follow up with the prescriber's office as needed. You are also welcome to contact the office yourself if you prefer or if you would like to help move the request along.
Our goal is to take on as much of the coordination as possible so the process stays simple for you.
What if there is a problem with the prescription?
If the prescription is incomplete, expired, has no refills left, or contains information that needs clarification, our pharmacy will work with the prescriber to resolve the issue.
If the prescription does not match the order you placed, we first clarify with the prescriber what was actually prescribed. If the order needs to be changed, we will contact you before moving forward.
You do not need to act as the messenger between the pharmacy and the clinic unless you want to. We will handle the pharmacy-to-prescriber coordination whenever possible.
Can a U.S. pharmacy transfer my prescription to SimplePills?
Usually, a prescription on file at a U.S. pharmacy cannot simply be transferred directly to SimplePills because the pharmacies operate under two different pharmacy systems in two different countries.
In most cases, we will need the prescription to come from your doctor or veterinarian instead. If you are not sure what to do, contact us and we can help you determine the next step.
Where to go from here
Once the prescription and order are both in place, the next step is pharmacist review before the order moves into dispensing.
For the overall first-order process, see How to place your first order with SimplePills. Next, let’s look at How payment works for your first order.