Questions answered about base primary care clinic

  • Published
  • By Capt. Valerie Jones
  • Primary Care Clinic
The primary care clinic at Wright-Patterson Medical Center manages the health needs of nearly 24,000 beneficiaries.
In an effort to serve patients in an efficient and timely manner, here are the answers to a few of the more frequently asked questions.

How do I contact my PCM team during duty hours? If you have a question or need to speak with someone on your primary care team, call the clinic at 257-9700 to place a telephone consult. Of note, effective Aug. 20, the new telephone phone hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Staff will make every effort to address your concerns as soon as possible. You can expect to receive a phone call within 24 hours. Officials at the medical center said meeting your needs is of utmost importance to them. 

How do I talk to a provider after duty hours? The primary care clinic hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
If you have health-related questions or concerns that cannot wait until the next duty day to be addressed, page the on-call provider at (877) 667-5573.
The provider will be able to give you advice for your urgent needs; however, he or she will not be able to give you lab results, refill prescriptions or book appointments after normal business hours. 
If you have a condition that requires immediate attention, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. 

How do I know if I have refills on my current prescription? Look at your current medication label for the number of refills left. This information should be located near the center of the label.
You may call the refill line at least one week before you run out of your current prescription for continuous medical care. If you have refills left on the current prescription, then call the automated refill line at 257-9016.
Your prescription will be refilled, and you will receive instructions for pick-up at the Kittyhawk Pharmacy, which is located beside the commissary in Kittyhawk Center.

What if I have no refills on my current prescription? If you have no refills left or it has been more than one year since you received the prescription, then contact your primary care manager at 257-9700.
You may need to schedule an appointment before having your medication renewed if you have not been seen recently.
Your PCM team needs to ensure there have been no changes in your medical condition that might effect your previous prescription.
Bring all medication bottles to your appointment for review with your PCM. 

How do I get my test results? If it has been more than two weeks since you have had radiology or laboratory tests and you have not been notified of the results by your PCM team, contact the primary care clinic.

How do I schedule an appointment? To schedule an appointment with your PCM, use http://www.tricareonline.com for 24-hour appointment scheduling ability or call the appointment line at 522-2778.
(Mary Fairman and Maj. Teresa Paris contributed to this article.)

(Editor's note: If you have any further questions, you may contact Capt. Valerie Jones, group practice manager, at 257-9240.)