Our Policies
Arrival
• Please arrive at least 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment start time. This time allows you to fill out any appropriate forms, have the nurse complete any required vitals (for example blood pressure), and change clothing if necessary. Existing patients please ensure to let us know ASAP if any of your contact details have changed.• All patients must bring a VALID HEALTH CARD and a list of all their current medications to each office visit. Please bring prescription bottles if you do not have a medication list.
• If your health card is not valid or expired, uninsured visit charges will apply.
Wait time
• Our clinic team always endeavors to keep on schedule.• We value your time and patience however we are a medical clinic and medical emergencies do occur that are beyond our control. Your understanding is always appreciated.
Confidentiality
• We protect your personal health information with great care. If a third party such as family, insurance companies or lawyers require your medical information, you will be asked to provide written authorization for the release of any of your relevant medical records.
Appointments
• Appointments can be booked in person or over the phone. We are proud to offer online bookings.• If you can, please let the receptionist know the reason that you wish to see the doctor as this will help us prepare for your visit and provide adequate time for you. In particular, if you are requesting a complete physical or Pap test.
• If you are unable to make your appointment please give the staff 24 hours cancellation notice. There will be a charge for all missed appointments. This must be paid prior to seeing another doctor at our clinic.
• As courtesy to other patients, if you arrive late, your appointment will be shortened to the remainder of the original scheduled appointment. If you are more than 10 minutes late, you may be asked to reschedule. A physician may still choose to accommodate you if they are able, but this is decided on a case-by-case basis.
Results
• While we attempt to contact all individuals with abnormal or concerning results, do not assume that no call is good news.• All patients are expected to come back to follow-up on test results. At the end of your visit, the doctor will let you know when to come back, when you see him or her; sometimes they will tell you that they will call you when the results are ready. If you have not heard of a time to come back, then come in.
• For privacy reasons, we cannot give test results over the phone nor inform you if test results have arrived.
Phone and fax prescriptions and refills
• We do not refill prescriptions over the phone or fax. It is your responsibility to ensure you do not run out of medications.• We do not provide refills for any controlled substances in our Walk-In Clinic.
• If you are a family practice patient, only your own family physician can refill your narcotic/controlled substances prescription when it is due.
• Due to the nature of prescription medications, our physicians value the importance of frequent monitoring of contraindications (when it is inadvisable to prescribe a particular drug), side effects and appropriateness for continuation.
• We therefore do not provide prescription refills by telephone. If you are running low on a prescription, you may request the pharmacist for a limited supply until you see a physician in the clinic for your refill. We thank you for your cooperation.
Referrals
• If a referral to a specialist is being made for you by our office, either our office or the specialist’s office will contact you with an appointment time. Our goal is to request an appointment for you within two business days of your visit; however, due to wait lists at the specialist office, you may not be contacted right away.
Forms
• MSP does not pay for form completion. (If in doubt, please ask our staff what MSP covers and what it does not.) Therefore, it is the patient’s responsibility to pay in advance for any form that needs to be filled out by the doctor. Please inform the receptionist of any forms needing to be filled out prior to seeing the doctor.
Contact Information
• Please ensure that your file is kept up to date with the best phone numbers, email and home addresses, and emergency contact information. Please inform the receptionist of any changes to your personal information upon arrival at the clinic or call after any of the above have changed.
Controlled Medications
• Some medications, such as opioids (“narcotics”) require special prescribing rules. This is for your safety as they help you to minimize the risks of overuse and side effects and ensure proper use.• We do not prescribe controlled substances to patients who are not known to our clinic. We do not provide refills at times earlier that those decided at the last visit. As per provincial rules, we ask that all patients receiving these medications receive prescriptions from one doctor and fill those prescriptions at one pharmacy. Any irregularities may lead to the end of the prescription.
Behaviour
• Our front staff are specially chosen and trained to help patients. We understand that there are many reasons why you may need to visit our office and we make every effort to make your visit as pleasant and comfortable as possible. In turn, we ask that your behavior is respectful of our staff. There is a zero tolerance for abuse of any kind and may lead to dismissal from the practice.• If you have any problems associated with your visit, please contact our managers in writing.
• In order to provide you with the best possible care, a satisfactory doctor-patient relationship is necessary. If for any reason, this relationship becomes compromised, then it may be best for both parties to end the relationship. If this occurs then we will provide emergency medical care for one month or when the patient finds a new family doctor, whichever comes first.