Preparing for Your Appointment

Whether you’re visiting for your own health check or to hold the hand of a loved one, we know that a trip to the doctor can sometimes be stressful or worrisome.

Your appointment at a Duke Family Medicine practice can be made all the better with some preparation and a little bit of homework, from gathering the names of your existing prescriptions to keeping immunization records in a reliable location.

Payment

Many health plans require the patient to pay a co-payment at the time of service. We cannot bill the co-payment; it must be paid at the start of the visit.

For payment policies at each location, including accepted forms of payment, please contact the billing office directly.

For difficulty with payment for prescription medication, please speak with your doctor so that alternative arrangements can be made.

Appointment Times

We strive to stay on time for your appointment. Plan to arrive for your appointment 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time.

As a courtesy to patients who are on time, patients who are late for their visit may be rescheduled.

Building Patient-Doctor Relationships

We strongly believe that building a personal relationship with your provider is important. Please select a physician or provider with whom you feel comfortable and whose practice hours suit your needs. Ask to be scheduled with this provider whenever possible.

Prescriptions and Refills

The duration of a drug prescription will depend on the condition being treated.

Acute infections may require treatment for three to 14 days while long-term health conditions, such as diabetes or hypertension, will require treatment indefinitely.

For your appointment: Please bring a list of all your current medications to each office visit and plan ahead to ask for refills during your visit.

For refills without an office visit:

• Call your pharmacy to request a refill and request that they contact us directly about the refill.
• Allow 72 hours for refills to be processed.
• Some prescriptions and insurance forms will require an office appointment.

Referrals to Specialists

For help in finding a Duke specialist in your area, call 1-888-ASK-DUKE (275-3853).

Customer Service

We aim to provide quality care and service for all patients, and we value your comments about the services you received. Your feedback helps us to improve the services we provide and recognize employees who exceed expectations.