GLP-1 Refill Reminders: Cadence, Scripts, Handoff

When should a clinic send GLP-1 refill reminders?

A clinic should send the first refill reminder a few days before the refill is due, early enough to fix a shipping address, payment card or scheduling problem before the patient runs out. About five days ahead gives room for one or two follow-ups without feeling rushed.

Too early and the patient forgets again. Too late and a failed payment or a wrong address turns into a missed dose and an unhappy call. Pick one cadence and use it for every patient so your team always knows where each refill stands.

What should a refill reminder text say?

A refill reminder text should say that a refill is coming up, who it is from, and how to confirm, with no medication name, dose or condition. Anyone can glance at a phone screen. Keep the details behind the patient's login.

Template: "Hi [first name], it's [clinic name]. Your next refill is coming up. Reply YES to confirm, or open the app to make changes. Reply STOP to opt out."

Follow-up template: "Hi [first name], just checking on your upcoming refill from [clinic name]. Reply YES to confirm or call us at [number] if anything has changed."

• Include: clinic name, the word refill, how to confirm, how to opt out.
• Leave out: drug names, doses, weight, diagnosis, lab results, side effects.
• Keep it short enough to read on a lock screen.

What should a refill reminder call cover?

A refill reminder call should cover logistics only: confirm the patient wants the refill, check the shipping address or pickup plan, check the card on file, and offer to pause if needed. A short, consistent call takes a couple of minutes.

Call script: "Hi, this is [clinic name] calling about your upcoming refill. Can I confirm a couple of quick details? Is your shipping address still the same? And should we use the card ending in [last four]? Great. Is there anything you would like one of our providers to follow up on?"

That last question is important. It gives the patient a clear path to a provider without the caller trying to answer clinical questions.

When should a refill question go to a provider?

Any question about doses, side effects, symptoms, other medications or the patient's health should go to a licensed provider, every time. Whoever handles reminders, a staff member or an automated agent, should recognize these topics and hand off rather than answer.

• Questions about changing, skipping or doubling a dose.
• Side effects, new symptoms or feeling unwell.
• New medications, supplements or upcoming procedures.
• Pregnancy, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding.
• Anything urgent: tell the patient to call emergency services or their doctor right away.

How should a refill handoff to a provider work?

A good handoff gives the provider the patient's question in their own words, the time it came in, and what was already said, so nobody asks the patient to repeat themselves. Set a target time for providers to reply and tell the patient when to expect a response.

The Ovea Club refill agent, available on the Club + Agent plan, calls or texts patients five days before each GLP-1 or peptide refill in your clinic's name. It schedules, confirms and pauses, and answers logistics. Medical questions go to your providers with full notes, and your team sees each conversation with a timestamp.

What privacy and compliance basics apply to refill reminders?

Refill reminders involve patient information, so they need the same care as any other patient communication. This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your setup with counsel familiar with healthcare and texting rules.

• Get documented consent to text and call, and honor opt-outs right away.
• Keep health details out of texts and voicemails.
• Sign a business associate agreement with any vendor that handles patient information for you.
• Do not attach discounts, points or rewards to prescription medication.
• Keep a record of each reminder, reply and handoff.

How do you handle patients who want to pause or cancel?

Handle pause and cancel requests by making pausing easy and asking one short question about why. Many patients want a break, not an exit, and a simple pause keeps the door open.

Script: "No problem. Would you like to pause your next refill for a month instead of canceling? You can restart anytime." If they still want to cancel, process it politely and note the reason. If the reason is clinical, such as side effects, route it to a provider before closing it out.

Any save offer should apply to non-prescription parts of the program, such as a membership perk, never to the medication itself.

How do you know if your refill reminders are working?

Your refill reminders are working if most refills are confirmed before the due date, few patients run out, and providers get clear handoffs instead of last-minute calls. Review these numbers every week for the first couple of months.

When a reminder does not get a reply, look at why. A wrong phone number, a time of day that never works, or a message that is unclear are all fixable. Change one thing at a time, such as the send time or the wording, and compare the next few weeks.

• Refills confirmed before the due date.
• Refills that needed a staff follow-up.
• Patients who paused, and why.
• Handoffs to providers and how long each took to close.
• Failed payments caught by the reminder before the refill date.