Frequently Asked Questions

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 right away. For typical urgent care symptoms, select "See Doctor Now".

5 Star Urgent Care currently has limited hours. Its sole physician and owner, Dr. West, runs the online urgent care by himself. He has two young daughters he raises and also takes care of his elderly parents.

Simply put, low overhead. Dr. West is the owner, physician, secretary, and website operator. He strives to make evidence-based, compassionate, and empathetic medical care affordable to all.

This is a very common question. Antibiotics will be prescribed ONLY if necessary. Remember that 90% of upper respiratory infections/symptoms are viral and NOT bacterial.

Many patients think they have a "sinus infection." It is important to identify if the cause of sinusitis is bacterial or viral, as the treatment is based on the cause. Acute viral sinusitis does not benefit from antibiotic treatment, but acute bacterial sinusitis may. 5-Star follows The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgeons' criteria for diagnosing bacterial sinus infections.

• (a) Symptoms or signs of acute rhinosinusitis (purulent nasal drainage accompanied by nasal obstruction, facial pain-pressure-fullness, or both) persist without evidence of improvement for at least 10 days beyond the onset of upper respiratory symptoms, or
• (b) Symptoms or signs of acute rhinosinusitis worsen within 10 days after an initial improvement (double worsening).

It is very important to put an accurate cell phone number on your intake form. If there are technical issues during our visit, such as video or audio corruption, we will complete the visit via cell phone.

Currently only available in Florida.

We do not accept insurance at this time. But, we offer very affordable pricing that is much less than most urgent care or ER copays.

If you have any questions about our services, your care, or need to reach your provider, you can easily contact us by sending an email to info@5starurgentcare.com.

Most conditions requiring treatment do NOT need lab testing. However, some medications may require an in-person evaluation or lab tests.

5 Star Urgent Care does NOT prescribe any controlled substances or high-risk medications, including but not limited to opiates, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, marijuana, sleeping pills, certain muscle relaxers, biologics, cancer medications, or hormones (except for birth control). 

5 Star Urgent Care can see patients of any age.

Yes, doctor’s excuses and return-to-work notes can be provided. We do NOT write workers' comp forms, disability forms, vaccine exemptions, FMLA notes, travel or airline notes, emotional support animal notes, or restricted duty notes. We can backdate a maximum of 2 days. A maximum of 4 days off can be given. Your excuse can be used for school or work. There will NOT be any confidential medical information on your excuse.

Yes. Parents can call for their minor children; however, the child must be present.

Yes, only one patient will be helped per call. However, it is very quick and easy to see the physician.

An urgent care appointment is only $59 which includes the consultation with the doctor, any applicable prescriptions sent to your local pharmacy, and work/school notes. Your medication costs are separate and between you and the pharmacy. 5 Star Urgent Care does not accept insurance.

Your prescription will be sent immediately and electronically to the pharmacy of your choice that was set up in your intake questionnaire. It generally will take your pharmacy a few hours to get it ready for you. It is best to sign up for your specific pharmacy’s text alerts.

If you experience any issues with your prescription, such as:

• • The medication is out of stock
  • The pharmacy has not received the Rx
  • The pharmacy is refusing to fill/has a concern about the prescription
  • The prescription needs to be transferred to another pharmacy

Please contact us

Some insurers do not pay for certain medications—this is something that is out of 5 Star Urgent Care’s control. Here are ways to resolve this:

Ask your pharmacist which formulation is covered by your insurer and to have them substitute the medication for either a generic alternative or a different formulation (e.g. pills instead of strips). Note that all our prescriptions by default are set to the generic form and allows the pharmacist to substitute. If your pharmacist insists on having a revised prescription sent, please let us know by contacting us here.

• If your medication is already generic, and you cannot switch to a covered alternative, ask your pharmacist to fax the prior authorization to your insurance company directly.

• Since you are not charged until the end of the visit, if there is a technical issue, and the visit is not completed, you will not be charged. We will try to complete the visit via telephone, in which case you will be charged. You CANNOT get a refund if you had a successful visit, even if you don’t get the prescription you wanted. We cannot guarantee any specific prescription.

We strive hard to provide our patients with compassionate and high-quality care. We appreciate any feedback you have regarding the care you received during your consultation. Please complete this form to submit your feedback about your visit.