{"id":19437,"date":"2021-11-22T12:38:32","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T17:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=19437"},"modified":"2026-02-05T07:38:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T12:38:33","slug":"what-happens-after-an-urgent-care-appointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/what-happens-after-an-urgent-care-appointment\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens After an Urgent Care Appointment?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

If a health concern is more urgent than an appointment with a primary care physician but doesn\u2019t warrant a trip to the ER, an urgent care center might be the perfect place to seek treatment.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re becoming more commonplace destinations for patients too \u2014 as of November 2018, the total number of urgent care centers in the U.S. reached 8,774<\/a>, up 8 percent from the previous year.<\/p>\n

But once you\u2019re treated for non-life-threatening needs, like a minor burn, sore throat, ear infection or STD testing, navigating the next steps for follow-up care can seem tricky.<\/p>\n

Can urgent care offer referrals to a specialist? What about medication? How do you make sure everything that just happened was properly documented? Knowing what to expect can ease the transition and ensure your medical records are as complete as possible.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what you should know following an urgent care appointment.<\/p>\n

\n

Follow-up visits: Are they needed?<\/h3>\n

Depending on the diagnosis, the clinician that treats you during your urgent care visit may or may not recommend a follow-up visit to the urgent care center, or may suggest making an appointment with your primary care physician to check in with them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually advise our patients to reach out to their PCP for any condition requiring a follow-up visit,\u201d said Emmy Ansinelli, director of marketing at MedRite.<\/p>\n

If a patient does not have a PCP, they can return to the urgent care for additional care if needed, although there are good reasons why that may not be the best option<\/a> for patients.<\/p>\n

Referrals: Can you get them at urgent care?<\/h3>\n

For conditions requiring specialist care, the urgent care clinician will provide recommendations and a referral. Also check in with your primary care physician, if possible, to keep them abreast of your treatment.<\/p>\n

Prescriptions: Can urgent care give them out?<\/h3>\n

An urgent care provider can prescribe medication just like a PCP or hospital provider. To save time, come prepared with your preferred pharmacy\u2019s information, including the address and phone number. You should be able to collect your medication once the pharmacy fills your prescription.<\/p>\n

Follow-up questions: Where should you go?<\/h3>\n

Nearly 85 percent of urgent care patients are taken care of in less than 60 minutes<\/a>, so if you get home after your visit and have any questions or concerns, you can bring those to your primary care doctor.<\/p>\n

However, about one-third of Americans<\/a> don\u2019t have a PCP. In that case, you can reach out to the urgent care center again.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce a patient has visited one of our locations, their information is saved for their next visit,\u201d Ansinelli said. \u201cWe are always happy to be able to provide care to a repeat patient.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Ready to book a doctor’s appointment? Visit Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Answering questions on referrals, follow-up care and more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":19441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[103,81,56,93,106,202],"class_list":["post-19437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-prep","tag-preventive-care","tag-primary-care","tag-public-health","tag-treatment","tag-urgent-care","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Happens After Urgent Care? 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