Policies and Procedures
If you have a question about a policy or procedure, please feel free to contact our office.
Prescription
Renewals
You should never have to go without your regular medications. It is your responsibility to monitor your medication use and the need for renewals.
For Medical Cannabis Prescriptions
Medical cannabis renewals are done at your appointments, and your prescription will cover you until your next follow-up.
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1. Our clinic sends your prescription to a licensed producer (LP) of medical cannabis.​ When you attend your first appointment, you'll find out who your LP is.
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2. When you receive your first prescription, your LP will contact you via email to tell you how to register, and receive your prescription. The LP will also remind you of when you are due for a new prescription.
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If you are due for a prescription renewal, and your prescription is running out please call the office and we will schedule you an appointment. It is necessary to be seen for a follow-up appointment in order to renew your prescription.
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In-Person
Appointments
We will be happy to see you in person for your consultation. We can accommodate visits during our regular office hours.
Virtual and Telephone Appointments
In addition to in-person appointments, we offer private, safe, and secure telemedicine and video consultations.
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When booking an appointment, ask us whether a telephone or virtual visit is your preference.
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Please note: It is the patient’s responsibility to have the accurate information and technical requirements that will allow you to attend to your virtual appointment.
Technical requirements for virtual appointments:
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A device (smartphone, tablet, or computer) with a working microphone, and a working camera.
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An up-to-date browser installed on your device (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari)
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Internet access with a stable and reliable connection
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If you are unsure about whether your devices meet the technical requirements for virtual or telephone appointments, please contact our office.
Late Policy
Our late policy is to ensure that the patients who arrive on time do not wait longer than necessary to see their provider.
If a patient is more than 10 minutes late for an appointment, the appointment will need to be rescheduled.
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- For in-person appointments please arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
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- For telephone appointments, please be available and ready to receive a phone call 10 minutes prior to your appointment.
- For virtual appointments, please be online 10 minutes prior to your appointment with your camera and microphone tested and ready to use.
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This policy is in place so we can provide timely medical care and services to yourself and others.
Cancellations and No-Shows
Cancellations affect our clinic and our ability to provide care to other patients. Our cancellation and no-show policy helps us ensure our appointments are available when patients need them. Please note that this policy applies to all appointments.
We understand there can be extenuating circumstances that can arise that mean you must cancel an appointment.
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If you cannot attend your scheduled appointment, please contact us by phone as soon as possible to cancel or reschedule your visit.
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Cancellations - more than 24 hours before an appointment
Appointments can be cancelled and rescheduled up to 24 hours before your appointment with no penalty. Please feel free to contact our clinic to cancel or reschedule your appointment for a later time.
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Cancellations - less than 24 hours before an appointment
Cancellations less than 24-hours before your appointment time will result in a $30 fee, to be paid at your next appointment. Please feel free to contact our clinic to cancel or reschedule your appointment for a later time.
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Failure to attend an appointment (No-Show)
Failing to attend your appointment without informing us will result in a $30 fee, to be paid at your next appointment. If you fail to attend your appointment, please contact our clinic to let us know if you are okay, and to reschedule your appointment for a later time.
For all Cancellations or No-Shows
If you inform us of your circumstance, we will evaluate the application of this policy on a case-by-case basis.
Form Completion
We understand forms completed by a healthcare professional are often necessary for a variety of reasons.
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If you have a form that you need us to complete, please read our full policy concerning form completion. After you have read our policy, please contact our office and we will make arrangements to complete this form for you.
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Please be aware that fees apply to the completion of some forms. Continue reading below to find out if your form may require a fee.​
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We receive a high volume of requests for form completion. This means that generally, we are unable to complete forms during any scheduled appointment.
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Procedure for most Forms : ​
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Read carefully and sign this document, acknowledging our form completion process.
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Complete all sections of the form with your information, including signatures of consent.
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Drop off the form, and the document from Step 1, at our office during our opening hours.
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Pay any applicable fees for third party forms (see below for more details). We accept cash, debit, or credit.
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We will contact you when your form has been completed, and is ready for pickup.
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Drop by the clinic during opening hours to collect your completed form.
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Costs
for Third Party Forms
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What is a third party form?
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Third Party Forms include any form requested by an agency or individual who is not the patient or healthcare provider. This includes:
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requests from employers
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insurance forms
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government forms
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sick notes
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other forms requested by anyone who is not a patient or healthcare provider
The service of completing these forms is unfortunately not covered by your Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).
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Therefore, please be aware there is a fee for third party forms. The amount is dependent upon the type of form that requires completion and the amount of time necessary to complete it.
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For more information about your provincial coverage, and visit the OHIP website. Click Here
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After Hours
Care
There are several options for accessing healthcare outside our clinic hours.
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Medical Emergencies
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Emergency Departments
If you are experiencing a medical emergency at any time, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.
For a list of Emergency Departments in Hamilton and the surrounding area Click Here
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Urgent Care
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Urgent Care Centres
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Urgent Care centres offer treatment for most injuries and illnesses such as infections, earaches, eye injuries, sprains, broken bones, cuts, fevers, minor burns and nose and throat complaints through emergency-trained doctors and other health care professionals.
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Some centres may offer follow-up appointments to see how your recovery from illness/injury is progressing.
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More information:
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Hamilton Health Sciences
Urgent Care Centres in Hamilton
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Non-Urgent Care
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It is certainly our preference to see you for all or as many of your concerns as possible, to ensure that we are aware of all aspects of your care. But we recognize and appreciate that this may not always be possible, and we encourage you to seek health care in a way that is most convenient and appropriate for you.
For non-emergent concerns outside office hours, there are several options available to you.
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Ontario Telehealth (Health 811)
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Ontario offers a free service to help answer health questions that are not emergencies. 811 provides an assessment of your symptoms and can help you decide if you should see a health care provider, or if you can manage your symptoms at home. Learn More
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Walk-in Clinics
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We do not prohibit the use of walk-in clinics. If you seek care at a walk-in clinic it may be beneficial to you to request that the record of the encounter be sent to us. This allows us to be aware of what occurred and can follow up with you on any outstanding issues arising from that encounter. In some instances, it can be challenging to do this properly without a record of the encounter.
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Pharmacies
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Pharmacists can also prescribe medications and treat several minor ailments. You are encouraged to speak to your pharmacist to find out what healthcare services they offer and whether they are right for your needs. Having the legislated authority to prescribe for minor ailments does not mean all pharmacists must offer or provide this service.
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More information:
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Government of Ontario
Types of Services you can get from your Pharmacy
Ontario College of Pharmacists
Information on treatment of Minor Ailments offered by Pharmacists