This article includes best practices for requesting prescription refills by first checking with your pharmacy, then submitting a refill request if needed, and lastly, picking up your refill. It also provides you with details on your follow-up appointments and how to get in touch with our Psychiatric Services team if you are experiencing side effects.
How Prescriptions and Refills Work at Rula
The prescription process begins during your initial appointment with a psychiatric provider, who will assess your history and create a care plan. If medication is prescribed, your provider will submit it electronically through our system, AdvancedMD (AMD), to the pharmacy you selected.
- You will not receive a notification when a prescription is submitted—please call your pharmacy to confirm it's ready.
- Most prescriptions will be filled without additional steps once submitted via AMD.
- Most providers review and process refill requests within 2 business days, but this can vary.
- Rula patients typically have a follow-up 2–4 weeks after starting a new medication.
- Currently, prescriptions are not visible in the Rula patient portal but may be visible in the AMD patient portal or sometimes even in your pharmacy app (e.g., CVS).
Requesting Prescription Refills
There are a few different ways you can check to see if you have refills for your prescriptions:
- Check your AMD patient portal - Navigate to top bar → “Prescriptions” tab where you can request a refill.
-
Check with Your Pharmacy - Call your pharmacy to confirm whether any refills remain.
-
- If you're out of refills, you may ask the pharmacy to request one on your behalf.
-
-
Submit a Refill Request (If Needed)
-
- If your pharmacy is unable to refill your prescription, please gather as much information as possible about why they were unable to do so. As a next step, you'll need to request a refill from your provider, who will review the request and determine the best course of action.
-
Pharmacy Unable to Refill Your Prescription?
If you are a California patient, you can email med@rula.com to contact our Psychiatric Services team, who will relay the message to your provider.
All other patients should message your provider directly through the AMD patient portal. You can do that by taking the following steps:
- Log in to the AdvancedMD patient portal.
- Click Messages > Ask a question.
- Select Ask Physician/Provider Directly.
- Choose your provider from the dropdown and submit your message and send!
-
-
- If needed, you may also email psychsupport@rula.com, and we’ll relay the message to your provider.
-
-
Timing Tip: Reach out at least 5 business days before you need the refill.
In most cases, you'll need to meet with a provider before we can issue a prescription refill. Typically, patients meet with their providers every 1-3 months, but the frequency will vary depending on their care plan. Once your treatment stabilizes, the appointments may be scheduled less frequently.
- Missing appointments can result in delays in refilling your prescriptions, so we recommend establishing a regular schedule with your provider.
Picking Up Your Refill
Once your refill has been processed, you can check with your pharmacy to confirm if your prescription is ready for pickup. Many pharmacies also offer the option to sign up for email/text message alerts when your medication is ready for pickup
Prescription Status and Troubleshooting
If you’re unsure whether a prescription was submitted or if there’s a delay:
- Call your pharmacy to check.
- If there’s still an issue, our support team can:
-
- Check AMD for prescription/ refill status.
- Identify sending errors (e.g., wrong pharmacy or voided prescriptions)
- Notify your provider and escalate concerns
-
We’ll follow up with you directly and guide you through the next steps, which might include:
- Reaching out to your provider for resubmission or clarification, or possibly, if needed, assisting in rematching your provider or requesting a new appointment if responsiveness is an issue.
- Visiting urgent care or a PCP
- Reaching out to the Pharmacy for a temporary 3-day supply (non-controlled)
Side Effects
If you’re experiencing side effects:
-
California patients should email med@rula.com to send messages directly to our Psychiatric Services team, who will relay them to your provider.
- All other patients should message your provider via the AMD patient portal as outlined above.
If you’re experiencing urgent/severe symptoms, please contact 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Room or Urgent Care center for further evaluation and immediate treatment.
Additional Resources
-
Resources for patients in crisis - If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek help immediately. This article includes resources for you to use, including Rula’s crisis hotline service, 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the Kaiser Permanente Behavioral Health Care Helpline, and calling 911 or locating the nearest Emergency room.
You do not have to go through this alone, and support is available 24/7 via phone, text, or chat - however you prefer to access support.
Updated