How refills work on thimblehub

Refills are where a telehealth brand grows. The first order brings a patient in. Every refill after it is a patient who stayed, and revenue you've already earned.

We built refills on thimblehub so patients stay on their plan with very little effort from them or from your team. Here's how one runs, from the reminder to the doorstep.

Patients always know what's coming

Before anything is charged or shipped, patients get a reminder about the renewal and a heads-up before the box goes out. No surprise charges, and no guessing when the next one arrives.

Plans change, so patients can adjust in the portal: push a shipment back, skip one, or pause the plan. A patient with extra supply at home can hold off on a box without canceling, and they're still your patient next month.

A quick check-in that keeps care on track

Before each refill, the patient answers a few questions in the portal about how they're doing, any side effects, and whether anything has changed. It's quick. You decide whether it's required, optional, or off, and how often it comes around.

Anything important reaches the clinician up front. A new pregnancy, a hospital stay, or a request to change the dose is flagged, so it gets attention right away.

If a required check-in is still open, the shipment waits. Nothing is canceled. The patient sees a "Check-in needed" card when they open the portal, and the refill goes out once they've answered.

Clinicians stay in charge of dosing

When a prescription runs out of refills or expires, the renewal goes back to your clinician network automatically. The patient's check-in is attached, and the next dose on your plan is already proposed from their last approved dose. If the clinician lowered the dose last month, the renewal starts from there. Doses move one step at a time, and the prescriber always makes the final call.

Once the clinician signs off, patients can find an after-visit summary in their portal. Turn it on in your settings whenever you're ready.

We connect all of this to your network during setup.

Payments that keep up with the plan

Renewals are charged through your own payment processor account, on whatever schedule fits your program. A three-month plan can bill once a quarter and still ship every month.

If a card fails, the patient is told right away, updates the card in the portal, and the refill goes out as soon as the payment clears. Nothing ships unpaid, and a declined card doesn't have to cost you the patient.

Tracking patients can see

Once the clinician approves, the prescription goes to your pharmacy, and the order's status and tracking show up in the patient's portal. Patients can see where each refill stands at a glance, from check-in needed and clinical review to shipped and delivered.

Your team sees exactly what needs them

The admin portal keeps a refill queue sorted by what needs a person: due this week, waiting on the patient, in clinician review, payment held, renewals, and upcoming. If something stalls, your team gets an alert before the patient has to ask.

The queue is there for the refills that need someone, so the rest can keep moving.

What it adds up to

Patients who know what's coming, can reach a clinician easily, and can see their box on the way are the ones who keep refilling. That's what this is built for: patients who stay on their plan, and a team that steps in only when it's needed.