Urgent care clinics have become a mainstay on the American healthcare scene, and most people may find it difficult to imagine life without them! But for as necessary as urgent care centers are, it’s important for patients to understand have a thorough understanding of urgent care services and the best ways to utilize them.
If you think you know everything there is to know about urgent care services, think again! Here are a few things medical professionals want patients to know about urgent care services.
You still need a primary care doctor
Although an urgent care facility can diagnose and treat just about anything a primary care doctor’s office can, urgent care services are by no means a replacement for primary medical care. Urgent medical care is meant to treat acute conditions and illnesses that may not be severe enough to warrant emergency medical care but still require immediate attention.
Your primary care doctor is more concerned with your overall health and wellness, and will closely monitor your blood pressure, weight, vaccines, and more. Unlike urgent care doctors, your primary care doctor will also recommend any appropriate blood tests or screenings such as mammograms.
Save prescription refills for your doctor
It may not seem like a big deal to ask the doctor at the urgent care to refill your prescription, but it’s something that’s best left for your primary care doctor. Chronic conditions that require medication should be monitored and treated by your primary care doctor, and that includes prescription refills. Doctors at urgent care facilities will prescribe medication to treat the condition you came in for, but are unlikely to refill your other prescriptions.
You should go to the hospital…
If you’re experiencing a true medical emergency, then you should go to the emergency room immediately. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can save time or money by visiting your local urgent care center, as there are some conditions that these facilities are simply not equipped to treat. If you’re experiencing numbness, chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, or loss of consciousness, it’s better to err on the side of caution and head to the emergency room.