Provider & Support Staff FAQ

What Is Photon?

Photon is a prescription coordination service that manages pharmacy logistics so clinical teams can focus on patient care. Photon handles sending prescriptions, confirming receipt, assisting with pharmacy transfers, communicating non-clinical pharmacy issues, providing status updates, supporting patients via SMS, and notifying patients when prior authorization is required.

Photon does not provide medical advice, diagnose conditions, recommend treatments, or make clinical decisions.

How Photon Helps Providers & Support Teams

Photon reduces:

Support calls and portal messages
Pharmacy transfers and clarifications
Prescription rewrites
Administrative time spent tracking pharmacy issues

This allows teams to focus on clinical care while Photon manages the non-clinical workflow.

Communication & Support

How can providers or staff reach Photon?

Email: [email protected]
Response time: Within 24 business hours

How can patients contact Photon?

SMS: 513-866-3212
Availability: 24/7 for patient assistance

What Types of Issues Should Be Directed to Photon?

Send these to Photon (non-clinical)

Prescription not received by the pharmacy
Resend requests
Pharmacy routing or transfer assistance
Technical issues (link or login problems)
Assistance when a pharmacy or medication cannot be located in search tools
Non-clinical pharmacy questions

Do NOT send these to Photon (clinical)

Medication instructions
Dosing questions or clarifications
Side effects
Alternatives or changes
Updates or changes to prescriptions
Urgent or safety concerns

All clinical questions are routed back to the provider.

Prescription Workflow

Note: This section is only relevant for prescribers using Photon's UI to prescribe. Athena workflows should prescribe as they typically do in Athena.

How should prescriptions be sent and pharmacies selected for patients?

Recommended: Send prescriptions to the patient so they can select their pharmacy.
Alternatives: Provider/staff may choose the pharmacy directly.

Can multiple prescriptions be grouped?

Yes. Multiple prescriptions (including OTC) can be grouped into a single order.
All items in one order must go to the same pharmacy.

How quickly do pharmacies receive prescriptions?

Typically 10-15 minutes after patient submission or provider send.
Photon then:
- Confirms receipt
- Verifies stock when possible
- Sends patient estimated pickup time
Timing may vary due to pharmacy workflow or staffing.

Patient Access & Expectations

What if the patient doesn't have a smartphone?

Landline only: Provider must select the pharmacy; the patient receives no updates.
SMS-capable phone: Provider selection recommended; patient still receives text updates.

What should we tell patients before their prescription is sent?

Recommended:

"You'll get a text from Photon shortly."
"You can choose or switch pharmacies from the link."
"Photon will text you when the pharmacy confirms your prescription."

Pharmacy & Medication Issues

What if the pharmacy does not have the medication in stock?

Photon can help transfer the prescription.
Photon does not select clinical alternatives. Providers determine substitutions.

What if a pharmacy says they didn't receive the prescription?

Email [email protected] to resend.
Patient can text 513-866-3212 to request a resend.

What if I can't find a pharmacy?

Try searching by exact address
If still not found, email [email protected] for support

What if I can't find a specific medication?

Email [email protected] for assistance with finding the medication.

Prior Authorizations & Clinical Boundaries

Does Photon assist with prior authorizations?

Photon notifies patients when a PA is required.
Providers/staff complete and manage all PA tasks.

Can Photon cancel a prescription?

Yes. Please reach out to [email protected] for assistance with canceling prescriptions.

What clinical responsibilities remain with the provider?

Providers handle:

Diagnosis codes
Treatment decisions
Medication choice, dosing, changes, discontinuation
Completing PAs
Counseling patients
Side effects & safety
Urgent clinical concerns
Clinical conversations with pharmacies
Clinical clarifications and additional information required by the pharmacy
Medication specific questions

Photon routes all clinical questions back to the provider.

Prescription Types Supported

What types of prescriptions does Photon support?

Photon supports most:

Routine prescriptions
OTC items
Common DME (inhalers, nebulizers, test strips)

Note: Compounded, specialty, or controlled substances may require additional workflows.

Patient Support

How do patients get support from Photon?

By texting 513-866-3212 at any time.
Photon provides real-time non-clinical support and pharmacy coordination.

Who handles clinical questions?

Providers handle all clinical questions.
Photon cannot advise on medication use, changes, safety, or clinical concerns.

Troubleshooting & Tips/Tricks

Finding Pharmacies / Medications

Search by street address instead of pharmacy name
Confirm spelling or abbreviations
If still not found, email [email protected]

Login & Link Issues

Try these steps:

Clear browser cache + cookies
Open link in an incognito/private window
Try a different browser (Chrome/Safari recommended)
Ensure the full link was not broken across lines
If still failing, email [email protected]