Urgent care centers are becoming more common in the United States, with the number of new facilities growing at 7% a year. This means lots of new opportunities, as well as lots of competition among providers.

Americans demand faster service and convenience in everything, including healthcare. Urgent care centers fill this void, especially when patients feel that they don’t need to visit their primary care provider or a specialist for a health concern. Urgent care facilities also help alleviate the burden on emergency departments across the country.

The question is, does urgent care prescribe medication? Yes, medical providers at urgent care clinics can prescribe drugs. Some both prescribe and dispense certain medications right inside the clinic, giving them a competitive advantage while improving the patient experience. Here’s everything you need to know.

Common Conditions Treated in Urgent Care

Urgent care centers are best suited to bridge the gap between primary care and emergency rooms. They provide fast, convenient treatment for non-life-threatening medical conditions. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most common conditions treated in urgent care facilities.

Minor Injuries

Urgent care clinics frequently treat minor injuries that require attention but are not severe enough for the emergency room. These include sprains, minor fractures, strains, cuts requiring stitches, bruises, and minor burns. Most clinics can perform X-rays, apply splints, and clean and close wounds to promote proper healing.

Illnesses

Urgent care centers are a go-to option for common colds, sore throats, ear infections, and other minor illnesses. Urgent care providers perform diagnostic testing and prescribe medications, allowing patients to start treatment sooner. Patients can avoid the long wait associated with seeing their primary care provider or, alternatively, the expense of an ER visit.

Skin Conditions

Urgent care doctors often diagnose and treat conditions like rashes and minor skin infections. They may prescribe topical or oral medications to reduce inflammation and itching.

Minor Allergic Reactions

Mild allergic reactions, like localized swelling and seasonal allergies, are commonly treated in urgent care clinics. Providers can administer antihistamines and other medications to prevent escalation and control symptoms.

Minor Eye Injuries or Infections

Urgent care clinics can treat eye issues like conjunctivitis, styes, minor scratches, and foreign objects in the eye. Providers can perform basic interventions such as flushing the affected eye, prescribing antibiotic drops, and advising patients on how to protect their vision during recovery.

Minor Gynecological Issues

Urgent care centers can assist with a range of minor gynecological concerns, such as UTIs and yeast infections. Providers can perform simple diagnostic tests and prescribe treatments for these conditions. They can also refer patients to the appropriate specialists for follow-up, if needed.

Fevers and Flu-Like Symptoms

Many patients visit urgent care clinics when experiencing fever, body aches, chills, cough, or fatigue. These are all classic signs of viral infections like the flu. Clinics offer rapid flu tests and supportive treatments.

Minor Head Injuries

Providers at urgent care clinics can diagnose and treat minor head injuries such as concussions, bumps, and lacerations. Urgent care providers can assess patients for signs of more serious issues and give them guidance on follow-up care.

Travel-Related Issues

Before traveling abroad, patients often turn to urgent care for vaccinations or medications. Clinics can also address illnesses or injuries acquired during travel.

Immunizations and Vaccinations

Urgent care centers offer a range of immunizations for adults and children. Clinics are a convenient resource for keeping up to date on essential vaccinations.

Occupational Health Services

For work-related injuries or mandatory screenings, urgent care clinics provide occupational health services. Urgent care facilities are also a go-to option for workers’ comp dispensing.

What Type of Medication Can an Urgent Care Doctor Prescribe?

Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of medications that your urgent care facility may prescribe and dispense.

Antibiotics

Patients frequently turn to urgent care facilities to seek treatment for bacterial infections such as strep throat, UTIs, and sinus infections. Urgent care facilities with on-site dispensing can offer these commonly used antibiotics in-house:

Amoxicillin
Azithromycin (Z-Pak)
Cephalexin

Dispensing the medications in-house gives you an opportunity to educate patients on the importance of completing their antibiotic regimens and not overusing antibiotics.

Short-Term Pain Medications

At your facility, you may offer short-term relief for injuries like sprains, minor fractures, or post-procedure pain. Urgent care providers typically focus on non-opioid options for pain relief. However, you may prescribe small amounts of controlled substances when medically necessary.

One-Time Maintenance Medications

Urgent care centers may provide short-term refills or one-time doses of maintenance medications for patients who have run out unexpectedly. This could include medications for high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, or heart conditions. The goal is to ensure continuity of care until the patient can follow up with their regular physician.

Asthma and Allergy Medications

Patients who are experiencing asthma exacerbation or mild allergic reactions may turn to your urgent care clinic for medication and prompt treatment. Common prescriptions to include in your inventory are:

Albuterol inhalers
Oral corticosteroids like prednisone
Antihistamines

You may keep epinephrine auto-injectors on hand for serious allergic reactions.

Anti-Inflammatory Medications

Anti-inflammatory medications are a staple for treating patients with inflammation from injuries, injections, or flare-ups of chronic conditions. Filling these prescriptions on-site can help patients obtain relief sooner.

Antiviral Medications

When caught early, certain viral infections can be treated with antiviral medications to shorten the duration of the illness and ease the symptoms. Some antiviral medications to add to your inventory include:

Tamiflu
Acyclovir or valacyclovir for herpes simplex outbreaks
Antiviral treatments for shingles

Your urgent care center can adjust its inventory based on seasonal trends. For instance, you may want to increase your supply of flu antivirals during the colder months.

Medications for Stomach Conditions

Urgent care clinics can prescribe medications to treat gastrointestinal symptoms like acid reflux, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation. These medications can provide quick relief and prevent symptoms from worsening. Common prescriptions include antiemetics, proton pump inhibitors, and antidiarrheals.

Topical Medications

Keeping topical medications on hand is vital for urgent care clinics. Consider your patient population to decide which topical medications would be most appropriate for your clinic. While it’s important to keep a wide variety on hand, you must also be realistic regarding storage limitations.

Respiratory Medications

Many patients suffering from respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, pneumonia, and sinusitis turn to urgent care clinics for quick, efficient treatment. Make sure you are ready to meet their needs by stocking medications such as nebulizer treatments, cough suppressants, and inhaled corticosteroids.

Ear and Eye Drops

Ear and eye drops are a must-have item for urgent care clinics. Stocking these medications allows you to treat common ear and eye injuries or conditions. Consider investing in medications such as antibiotic eye drops, steroid drops, and antihistamine eye drops for allergies.

Physician Dispensing at Urgent Cares Promotes Better Care Outcomes

Currently, about 33% of prescriptions aren’t filled. Nearly one out of five people who don’t fill their prescriptions say it’s because they forget to pick them up. About the same percentage say they are unable to get to the pharmacy.

Moving from simply prescribing medications to dispensing them in-house can promote better patient outcomes and fewer treatment delays. With the right systems in place, you can meet patients’ needs faster and more effectively. You can also reduce the number of prescriptions that go unfilled and promote better compliance with treatment.

Additionally, in-house dispensing gives you an opportunity to provide better one-on-one education to patients. You can discuss things like the importance of medication adherence while addressing concerns and questions. Better patient education can lead to improved outcomes and a reduced risk of complications.

How Proficient Rx Helps Urgent Cares Refill Prescriptions Onsite

The next time patients ask questions like, “Does urgent care prescribe medication?” and “Can urgent care write prescriptions?” your staff can confidently say “Yes!” More importantly, you can write and fill prescriptions in-house, thanks to Proficient Rx. The result is faster access to care and fewer treatment delays.

Our turnkey urgent care solutions allow you to better oversee patient well-being without losing focus on what separates your facility from primary care providers: speed and convenience.

Partner With Proficient Rx So You Can Add Medication Dispensing to Your Service Offerings

Questions like “Can a urgent care prescribe medication?” and “Can an urgent care refill prescriptions?” are some of the first things patients want to know before heading to your facility. By partnering with Proficient Rx, you can offer urgent care prescription refills, write new prescriptions, and give patients the medications they need, all in one place.

Proficient Rx is a dispensing solutions company that helps you find success with doctor dispensing. Our easy-to-use web-based service and exceptional customer care enable you to keep track of medication inventory levels, manage and secure patient information, and capitalize on your ability to dispense medications in-house.

Whether brand, generic, or OTC, we ensure our clients are stocked with the right tools to begin in-office dispensing. Proficient Rx makes point-of-care dispensing easy and helps you provide better urgent care to your patients. Contact us to learn more!

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