Office Policies

Princeton Family Care Associates sees patients both in-person and virtually. Advances in technology have made telemedicine accessible to almost everyone. We do require once or twice annual visits depending on the patient's medical status. Patients prescribed Category II stimulant drugs MUST be seen IN PERSON every 3 months per prescribing regulations. Due to technology advances and the convenience of video platforms, phone/voice only appointments are not appropriate. Check with your insurance carrier regarding reimbursement for out of network telemedicine appointment claims. As some insurance requires you to have visits in person.


Refill Requests
We have found that automated pharmacy refill requests frequently are often for medications that have been already discontinued, the dose has been changed or the patient actually does not need a refill. We ask that patients call our office directly (609) 419-0123, to request any refill orders and not rely on the automated pharmacy refills which are often wrong.

We request that refill requests be made before 3:00pm on Monday – Thursday and 2:00pm on Friday. Requests received after these times will be completed the next business day. Refill requests will not be made over the weekend. We advise patients to make their refill requests 7 days before their last medication dose.

We aim to process refill requests within 1 to 2 days, but specific drug classes, such as controlled substances, require they be sent directly by the licensed clinician. Each clinician has time allocated in their schedule when in the office which may take longer. 

Telemedicine Appointment Procedures
We use the telemedicine platform, Doxy.me to conduct secure, HIPAA compliant virtual appointments with patients. Patients are emailed instructions and a link to each clinician’s secure URL waiting room (“Queue”) where they check in a few minutes before the scheduled appointment.

Notice of Privacy Policies
We are required by law to maintain the privacy of all mental health information. This notice is a statement as to the rights and obligations of both parties. To view and print a copy of this policy Select this link. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact our office staff.


Cancellations/No Shows
If a patient cannot keep an appointment, we ask for notification as soon as possible. This frees up time for another patient to be seen during that time. A fee is assessed when late cancellations or no shows become problematic.

48-hour notice is required for all full sessions, or a $125 late cancellation fee will apply. A 24-hour notice is required for all medication management appointments, or a $65 late cancellation fee will apply.

When late cancellations and no shows become habitual the fee will increase up to the full cost of the visit. It is possible that your treatment in this practice could be terminated as a result of excessive no shows.


​Confidentiality & Disclosure
of Health Information
The physician patient relationship is an important foundation of the patient's healthcare. Clinical practice requires mutual understanding, respect and confidence. It is for that reason that we will not give out any information regarding our patients to anyone, including family members, without the written consent of the patient. If the patient is older than 18 years of age. 

Release of medical information for minors will require proper consent forms from parents or guardians. In the case of a divorce, parents with medical custody must be the signer of the release forms.

We will use and disclose Health Information only with our patient’s consent. Patient’s authorization can be requested by competing an Authorization to Use - Disclose form.

PFCA After Office Hours Availability:
Patients can contact our on-call nurse until 10:00pm on weeknights only. After 10:00pm, weekends and holidays emergency contacts will be addressed within 24 hours. Medication refills will no longer be addressed on weekends or holidays.

If patients need medical attention, after 10:00pm on weeknights, over the weekends or on holidays when the office is closed, and they cannot wait for a call back, they are instructed to seek emergency care at their local Emergency Room or dial 911.
​
All messages left on the On Call voicemail will be monitored on weeknights until 10:00pm and reviewed to determine if the call requires a response or can wait to the next business day.

Importance of Clinical Scales and
In-Person or Video Appointments:
Just as we use the clinical scales to evaluate a patient’s clinical status when they come in for a visit, we use other tools to assess how they are responding to treatment.

Another clinical tool we use is a Mental Status assessment. At the clinical visit a clinician, will observe a patient’s appearance, demeanor, and affect among other things. A person’s affect is a visual presentation of their mood, manner and interactions. To best assess this in patients, our clinicians reply on a patient’s visual presentation, which is assessed either in-person or over a video call. 

Request for Firearms or
Weapons Certificate Letters:
Princeton Family Care Associates, LLC does not provide firearm- or weapons-related certifications, clearances, approvals, letters, or documentation for patients in its care. Treating clinicians do not serve as forensic evaluators for their own patients.

Upon request, and when known to the practice, patients may be provided with names of qualified forensic psychiatrists or independent evaluators who may offer firearm-related evaluations outside of the treating relationship. Here is a link to the specific policy.

Request for Letter for
Emotional Support Animal:
This practice does not provide forensic certification for requests for emotional support animals. We refer emotionally disabled certification requests to the patient’s psychologist, therapist, or other duly licensed and/or certified mental health professional.