Appointments
Booking Appointments
Appointments can be booked in person or over the phone. If you can, please let the receptionist know why 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 request a complete physical or Pap test, please tell the receptionist as these services require a more extended booking period.
Cancellation Notice
If you are unable to make your appointment, please give the staff 24 hours cancellation notice. Please note that missed appointments will attract a charge before seeing the next Doctor.
Results
All patients are expected to come back to follow up on test results. At the end of your visit, the Doctor will tell you the next time to come back to discuss the results of your tests. We will advise our patients when the results are likely to be ready. It is always a good idea to come in to see the Doctor if you did not hear the time when your results would be ready.
Privacy regulations will not allow us to give test results over the phone nor inform you if test results have arrived. Please find out before leaving the Clinic how long it will take for the results to come in.
Referrals
If our office refers you to a specialist. Our office or the specialist’s office will contact you with an appointment time. We can’t confirm when the Specialist’s Office will contact you; however, we hope your appointment can be set up based on the specialist wait lists.
Medication
Controlled Medications
Some medications, such as opioids (“narcotics”) require special prescribing rules. This is for your safety as they help minimize the risks of overuse and side effects and ensure proper use. We do not prescribe controlled substances to patients not known to our Clinic.
We do not prescribe controlled substances to patients who are not known to our clinic.
We do not provide refills at times earlier than 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.
Phone and Fax Prescriptions and Refills
We cannot renew any prescriptions by phone. The responsibility is both yours and your Doctor’s to assess at the time of your visit the appropriate quantity and dose of medication and the appropriate follow-up interval. So, please take a moment during each visit with the Doctor to ensure that the quantity of medication is enough and that you understand why certain medications or conditions have to be monitored on a regular basis. You should report any changes to your Doctor.
Patient Information
Contact Information
Please ensure your file is updated with recent phone numbers, home addresses, and emergency contact information. Please inform the receptionist about any changes to your personal information. You can update your information upon arrival at the Clinic or call the receptionist.
Patient 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 behaviour is respectful of our staff. There is 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.
Uninsured Services & Completion of Forms
Alberta Health Services does not pay for form completion. (If in doubt, please ask our staff what AHS 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.