After a prescription expires, a doctor needs to renew it. A renewal is a new prescription, even though it might be for the same medicine and the same dose you’ve been taking. Your doctor might want you to schedule an appointment or get some test results, before renewing your prescription. This helps make sure the medicine is still treating your condition as it should. Although many people think of a renewal as just another refill, a renewal is different because it’s a new prescription.
Rx number (prescription number): a unique number given to every prescription. You’ll find the number on the prescription label.