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Office Policies

Office Hours
The office is open Monday through Thursday, from 8:00am to 5:00 pm, and Friday, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. Physician office hours are by appointment only.

Scheduling An Appointment
Contact us to schedule an appointment with a physician. Please have your insurance card available when making your appointment. Many managed care insurance plans require a primary care physician referral prior to making a specialist appointment to ensure payment of full benefits. If a referral authorization is needed from your Primary Care Provider (PCP), you are responsible for obtaining this referral prior to your visit. If your care is non-emergent and there is no referral obtained, your appointment will be rescheduled. If you were referred by a physician, we will be sending a report of our consultation to your doctor.

No-Show Policy
If you are unable to keep your appointment, our office requires for surgery and new patients to call 72 hours prior to the appointment and established patients to call 48 hours prior to the appointment to cancel or a “no show” fee will be assessed on your account. Glaucoma Consultants of Texas will terminate all future care for patients who “no-show” multiple times or frequently reschedule.

Prescriptions
Barbara A. Smythe, M.D.If you are out of refills, have your name, date of birth, pharmacy name, and pharmacy phone number ready to leave on the voicemail.  Many prescriptions cannot be refilled over the phone or by physicians not familiar with your case, therefore, please make sure you always have enough medication for nights, weekends, and holidays.  Prescription refills may not be called in during non-office hours or on weekends.

Emergencies
Prevention:  Let us help you avoid the hassle and anxiety of after-hours calls.  We recommend you call our office as early in the day as possible if you feel are developing a concern about your eye condition.  You may either leave a message about your concern on the voicemail extension for the technician; if your condition is more urgent you may choose the front desk extension.  The front desk extension is answered directly and a technician will be consulted immediately.  All technician extension voicemail messages are returned at the end of morning and afternoon clinic.  If you choose this option, please state your name and phone number clearly to aid us in returning your call.

Using Your Local Emergency Room:  We believe that the most secure environment for after-hours care is at your local emergency room.  If you develop a concern about your eye condition after hours please consider proceeding to your local emergency room.  If you choose to contact us, leave a message on the extension for urgent calls.  Our doctors make every effort to return calls promptly.  The doctor will evaluate the concern and may direct you to your local emergency room for evaluation.  If for some reason you do not get a call back, or if your condition is worsening, please proceed directly to your local emergency room. 

Personal Security:  Occasionally after-hours visits to our office are needed.  If this occurs for you please pay attention to your personal security.  Park as close to our building as possible and remain in your car, with the doors locked, until the doctor identifies herself to you.  You should have a driver with you who can help escort you to and from your car.

Medical Records
There is a handling fee for obtaining a copy of your medical records which starts at $25.  A medical records release must also be filled out if you require a copy to be sent to another physician.   Please allow up to 10 business days for preparation of your records.

Other Medical Forms (ex. FMLA, Disability, Drivers License Forms)
There is a processing fee of $25.00 for preparing documents at your request. Please allow up to 10 business days for preparation of your records after we receive your payment.