Pharmacies will send faxes for any of the reasons mentioned below.
Need help?
If you received a faxed refill request, and the reasons (below) don't apply to you, submit a request to our Support Team. Tip: Provide examples of faxes with PHI removed in your request.
Possible Reasons Pharmacies Send Faxes
- The provider hasn't sent at least 5 new prescriptions electronically (This ensures the practice has been trained with e-prescribing. Even if the refill service level is shown in Surescripts, SPIs do not appear as "refill enabled" within the Surescripts Directory until they send their 5th NEWRX message).
- Pharmacies haven't updated their prescriber directories to recognize you are using e-prescribing (after sending your 5th NEWRX message) (It may take a couple of weeks for all pharmacies to take the most recent directory download that reflects your SPI(s) as being enabled to receive electronic Refill Requests).
- Pharmacy isn't enabled for e-prescribing
- Pharmacy sending change prescription request (pharmacy isn't set-up to send change messages electronically - ex. Walgreens).
- Renewal request is from a mail-order pharmacy (not all software vendors are certified to process from mail-order pharmacies).
- Refill requests were not responded to promptly (within 24-48 hours).
- Pharmacies requesting prior authorizations
- Pharmacies sending 90 (or greater) day supply requests
- Controlled substance refill requests
- Clinical messages (this may send because of “Medication Adherence” reasons (i.e., the patient has not paid for medication, so they cannot send).
- Requests for a “NEWRX” rather than a refill request
- Provider address mismatch (original script prescribed from a location address that has since been updated. Provider should send a new script from the updated location to correct so future renewals are sent electronically).