Tag Archives: Urgent Care

Medication

Types of Medication You Could Get at an Urgent Care Clinic

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Among the many conveniences offered by urgent care centers, most have their own pharmacies, meaning patients don’t have to go elsewhere to get their prescriptions after their visit. 

Doctors at urgent care clinics can prescribe medications, too. Certain medications, however, need monitoring, so follow-up appointments are necessary. The patient could be referred to a primary care doctor in such cases. That said, patients can have peace of mind knowing that should they need medication immediately, an urgent care doctor can prescribe what they need. 

Here are some types of medication an urgent care doctor can prescribe:

Antibiotics

Urgent care doctors can prescribe antibiotics for bacterial infections. There are different types of bacterial infections, and when this happens, doctors will prescribe the right antibiotic to treat the infection. In the case of ear infections, doctors can also prescribe ear drops if needed. 

Short-Term Pain Medications

Urgent care clinics can prescribe short-term pain medications. This includes medicines for headaches, back, neck, and shoulder pains, sprains, and strains. 

Diabetes Medications

People with diabetes can visit urgent care clinics to check their blood sugar levels and get the medications they need to control their glucose levels. One of the most common medications prescribed is insulin.

Allergy and Asthma Medication

Urgent care clinics can prescribe allergy and asthma medications. These medications have long-lasting effects, and patients will find them very convenient.

Medication for Stomach Conditions

If you have a stomach condition, you can go to an urgent care clinic and ask the doctor to prescribe you medications for gastritis, ulcers, or gastroenteritis.

Medication for Colds, Flus, and Other Respiratory Conditions

You can visit an urgent care clinic and get your medication if you’ve got a cold or the flu. You may also require a follow-up visit to monitor your condition.

Medication for Non-Life-Threatening Conditions

There are times when you don’t need to go to a hospital or an emergency room for your illness—this is when you can go to an urgent care clinic. For example, if you have a sprained ankle, you can visit the clinic to get your ankle wrapped as a temporary measure. Doctors will also give you crutches to help you get around.

When Shouldn’t Patients Go to an Urgent Care Clinic for Medication?

Patients should know that not all medications can be prescribed by urgent care clinics. This is true for drugs, such as anti-seizure medication, that require careful monitoring to ensure they’re doing their job properly. It is also true for complicated medicines such as chemotherapy drugs and prescriptions covering a range of possible illnesses.

Conclusion

If you think you need urgent care, you should consider visiting an urgent care clinic. However, it is vital to have a basic understanding of the care provided by these centers, which is why we have provided in-depth explorations of the types of services provided by urgent care clinics. By arming yourself with an understanding of what you can expect, you can be assured that you’ll get what you need at an urgent care clinic.

Aspen Medical Center is an urgent care center in Santa Fe, NM that can provide you with the medications mentioned above and both urgent and primary care services. Contact us today to know more about the services we offer!

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Inquiries to Ask before Visiting an Urgent Care Clinic

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Many people prefer urgent care when they can’t see their doctor immediately or don’t want to go to the emergency room. For most non-emergency situations, urgent care clinics are a better alternative than the emergency room. But you must know what to ask before you set foot in the door. 

Here are some inquiries you need to make at an urgent care clinic:

1. What Type of Provider Will See Me?

Many urgent care centers have different healthcare professionals. Some are open during the day, and some are open during the evening. Many of the available centers 24/7 have only nurses staffing the facility at night. You must know what type of provider will see you because each provider has different rules for admitting patients to the hospital. 

In addition, if you need to see a specific type of provider, you should call in advance to speak to the person who will be seeing you.

2. What Prescriptions Can Be Refilled at the Center?

Some urgent care centers can refill many types of prescription medications. These centers will have this information posted on their websites, so you can check before you go. 

If they can’t refill your medication on-site as a walk-in, you should know this ahead of time. Sometimes, centers right down the street from your pharmacy won’t fill your prescription unless you pick it up at the center. This isn’t convenient, so you want to find one that will let you pick it up right at the pharmacy.

3. What Do They Charge for Their Services?

Some urgent care centers have a set fee on their website. Other centers have varying prices depending upon your level of coverage. 

For example, if you have Medicare, you might pay a little more than if you have just regular health insurance. You’ll want to find out about their fee schedule before your visit.

4. What Is Their Walk-in Policy?

Some urgent care centers will be busy, and you may have to wait a little while to be seen. If you need to check as soon as possible, you’ll want to ask about their walk-in policy. 

Do they take walk-ins, or do you need to make an appointment? You may need to call ahead to see if they have the capacity to attend to you at the moment.

5. How Long Is the Current Wait Time?

Some urgent care centers are bustling, especially in the evening and on the weekends. If you have to see them during these times, you’ll want to know the current wait time. If you have to wait for a long time, you can make plans to do something else while you’re waiting.

6. Do I Need to Follow Up with You or My Primary Care Physician?

If you break your arm, urgent care centers may be able to set the bone, put it in a sling, and send you home. But if it’s not healing correctly, you’ll need to go back for further treatment. 

If your urgent care center sends you home, but you’re concerned about your injury, you’ll want to make sure that you follow up with your primary care physician.

Conclusion

Visiting an urgent care center is an excellent alternative to the ER. They help relieve stress in emergency rooms and reduce wait times. If you have questions about using an urgent care clinic, talk to your regular doctor or call the facility.

Aspen Medical Center is your urgent care center in Santa Fe, NM, offering health services to all ages. Contact us for a consultation today!

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Urgent Care Clinics are Revolutionizing Modern Healthcare

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An urgent care clinic is, as the name implies, a clinic designed to handle urgent, less common medical issues that come up. Many urgent care clinics serve the same function as traditional emergency rooms (where you would go if you had severe chest pains). But again, the urgent care clinic’s goal is to handle illnesses and injuries that are not life-threatening but require medical attention.

Urgent care clinics are also more convenient for patients. They are designed to be open evenings and weekends and in locations where access to a regular doctor might be difficult.

Today, we will explore how urgent care clinics are revolutionizing modern healthcare.

Here’s what you need to know:

Lower Costs

The first thing to realize is that you can get medical attention when needed but still stick to your budget. Many urgent care clinics offer routine medical services at the exact cost of a regular doctor’s visit or even cheaper.

The urgent care clinic can treat more minor illnesses, which means they don’t have to incur the costs (and expenses) associated with emergency room visits. Urgent care also provides more efficient referrals to emergency rooms. This means you may be able to avoid a multi-day emergency room stay for something that a simple antibiotic prescription could treat.

Convenience

Another key advantage of the urgent care clinic is that it is open when regular doctors’ offices are not. Many of the nation’s leading urgent care clinics, including the one pictured above, are available during the evenings and weekends and provide on-site lab tests.

This means that you can get medical attention while it’s convenient for you, which will help you avoid slipping through the cracks.

High-Quality Care

One of the great things about urgent care clinics is that they provide high-quality medical care to patients. While urgent care clinics cannot handle the same types of issues as regular emergency rooms (except for some minor emergencies that are not life-threatening), they are staffed by a board-certified physician. This means that you will be getting the highest level of care available outside of a hospital.

The staff at urgent care clinics is also well-trained in common ailments and injuries. It allows them to provide better care than many traditional primary care doctors.

Accessibility

Even with the growing number of urgent care clinics, many Americans have difficulty accessing traditional healthcare.

In some parts of the country, regular doctors are few and far between. Accessibility is also difficult for people who work odd hours or cannot attend a normal doctor’s office during working hours.

This is one of the many reasons urgent care clinics have grown in popularity. An urgent care clinic is the only option for routine healthcare in many areas.

With many millennials entering the workforce and many more entering the older generations, healthcare will soon be a hotly-debated topic.

If you’re interested in exploring urgent care, be sure to check out the location in your area. If you’re waiting on a regular doctor, or the wait is too long, a visit to an urgent care clinic might be just what the doctor ordered.

The Bottom Line

Urgent care clinics are revolutionizing modern healthcare. They are providing patients with convenient access to high-quality medical care. They are also a more affordable option for people who don’t have access to regular doctors. If you need routine medical treatment, an urgent care clinic may be an excellent option for you.

If you are looking for urgent care, we can help you. Aspen Medical Center provides urgent care and primary care. We are a locally owned outpatient medical facility in Santa Fe and Espanola, NM offering state-of-the-art primary care and urgent care services. Contact us today to learn more.