WhatsApp template for clinics: prescription ready for pickup notice

When a prescription is ready, the last thing you want is to be chasing the patient by phone. With a clear, automatic WhatsApp message, you notify them right away and they decide when to come pick it up. Here's a ready-to-copy template you can adapt.

What goes in each variable

• {{1}}: patient's name (e.g., 'María').
• {{2}}: name of the clinic or office (e.g., 'Clínica Central').
• {{3}}: address or pickup point (e.g., 'Av. Siempre Viva 742').
• {{4}} and {{5}}: pickup hours (e.g., 'Monday to Friday' and '9 to 18 hs').

How to load this template

1. 1Copy the sample message and replace the variables with your clinic's actual data.
2. 2In WhatsApp Business, go to Message tools > Message templates and create a new one with this text (the {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. placeholders are loaded as variables).
3. 3If you use Wando, load it in the panel and the AI will use it automatically when it detects a prescription is ready; you just approve it with one click.
4. 4Send it manually or automatically depending on the case. In Meta's official API, this notice is a utility category and is usually approved within up to 48 hours.

Message variants

Tips to make it work

• Only notify when the prescription is actually ready, so you don't cause unnecessary trips.
• If the patient doesn't pick it up within a few days, you can send a reminder (also with an approved template).
• In Wando, the AI learns from your responses and can suggest replies to questions that come in after the notification.

When to send this message (and when not to)

Timing is key. Send it as soon as the prescription is ready and loaded into the system. If the patient asked 'Is it ready yet?', that's the perfect trigger: reply with the template and you're done.

Don't send it if the prescription isn't ready yet, even if the patient is rushing you. It causes an unnecessary trip and next time they won't believe you. Also, don't use it for anything else: it's a transactional notification, not a channel for promotions.

If the patient doesn't pick it up within 48 or 72 hours, then you can send a reminder with another approved template. But don't do it the same day: it seems pushy and doesn't add value.

• Send it: when the recipe is ready and loaded.
• Send it: as a reply to 'is my recipe ready?'.
• Don't send it: if the recipe isn't ready.
• Don't send it: to promote other services.

What to answer when the patient responds

The notice generates three typical responses. Have a prepared answer for each one, so you don't have to think on the spot.

If they ask 'what time do you close?', reply with the exact schedule and offer to confirm by phone if it's a special case.

If they say 'I can't come today', offer a concrete alternative: keep it until tomorrow or coordinate it by phone.

If they ask 'can you send it to me?', clarify whether you deliver or not, and if you do, explain how it's coordinated.

• 'What time do you close?' → 'Hi {{1}}, we close at {{2}}. If it's tight for you, let us know and we'll keep it reserved.'
• 'I can't come today' → 'No problem {{1}}. We'll keep it for you until tomorrow. Does the afternoon work for you?'
• 'Can you send it to me?' → 'Hi {{1}}, we don't deliver recipes for now. You can come pick it up from {{2}} to {{3}}.'

How to know if the message worked

The main indicator is simple: that the patient comes to pick it up. But don't wait for that to happen to measure. Look at the response rate to the notice and the time it takes for them to show up at the door.

If a high percentage responds 'ok, I'll go' and then doesn't show up, the problem isn't the message: it's the pickup experience. Check if the hours are too limited or if the address is confusing.

In Wando, the statistics show you how many messages were sent and how many responses you received. With that, you compare weeks and see if the notice improves or stays the same.

If nobody responds but everyone picks up, the message is fine. If nobody responds and nobody picks up, check if the phone number is up to date.

Why Meta may reject this template and how to fix it

Meta rejects templates when the text is confusing, promises something that isn't fulfilled, or asks for sensitive data. In a prescription, the risk is mentioning the specific medication: that can be read as sensitive health information.

Another common reason: incorrectly loaded variables. If you use {{1}} for the name but then in the text you put the fixed name, Meta doesn't understand the template and rejects it.

The fix is simple: read the message as if you were the patient. Is it clear what they need to do? Is the time specific? Are there no weird promises? If something sounds like a scam, rewrite it.

If it gets rejected, don't resend it anyway: fix the text and upload it again. Approval takes up to 48 hours, so don't delay sending because of a poorly built template.

• Don't mention the specific medication.
• Don't promise 'same-day delivery' if it's not certain.
• Enter all variables as variables, not as fixed text.
• If it's rejected, fix it and upload it again. Don't resend the same one.

Formal variant and casual variant: when to use each

The formal version ('Dear {{1}}') is for patients you barely know or contexts where the relationship is more distant: a first consultation, a referred patient, or a large clinic.

The casual version ('Hi {{1}}! 👋') is for patients who already have trust: those who have been coming for years, greet you by your first name, or write with emojis. Formality is unnecessary there.

If you don't know which to use, start with the formal one. It's easier to lower the tone than to raise it. And if the patient responds casually, next time you can use the casual one.

The important thing is that the message is clear and provides the same information. The tone doesn't change the fact: the prescription is ready, come pick it up.