You will have a primary oncologist at our office who will determine your treatment plan and manage your care. Your care team may also include the nurse practitioner or another physician who may see you at routine follow-up appointments or provide on-call coverage when the office is closed.

 

IV treatments may be given at our office or at the outpatient infusion center through the CPMC hospital. There are a few treatments that may require a stay in the hospital.

 

Keep an updated list of your insurance carriers, including primary and secondary insurance coverage and any pharmacy benefit information. It is helpful to bring copies of your insurance cards to each appointment. Please call us immediately if your insurance coverage changes.

 

Your ability to work during treatment will depend on what kind of treatment you get and what kind of work you do. Please ask us about our specific recommendations for you. You should talk to your employer about disability leave and ways to adjust your work requirements. It may be helpful to meet with a social worker to discuss your situation. Please notify us in advance of any disability or insurance paperwork required, as it may take up to 5-7 business days to have paperwork completed by our office.

 

Keep an updated list of all medications and doses, including vitamins and supplements. Please notify us of any changes.

• Plan ahead—check your medications before each visit and let us know if you need a prescription refill. We will also need to know your pharmacy information. Prescription requests are best taken care of when you are at our office for an appointment. 

• If you have additional refills remaining, you may contact the pharmacy directly to ask them to prepare it, and you do not need an order from us.

• Certain medications require “prior authorization” or approval from your insurance company before the pharmacy can dispense them to you. In this case, your pharmacy will notify our office, and we will contact the insurance company for you. Please be aware that this process may take additional time.

 

Open communication is important. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We strive to work as a team, and if you are an active participant, it helps us to provide you with the best possible care.