Appointments

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Meet and Greet

• All patients are required to attend a meet and greet appointment.

• This is an introductory appointment dedicated to meeting each other, and it is an opportunity for you to review office policies and ask any questions you may have.

• Your past medical history will also be reviewed and updated in our electronic medical record.

 

Routine Appointments

• Please contact the office to book an appointment. The medical office assistant will ask you to briefly state the reason for the appointment to better schedule your visit.

• If your name, address, phone number, or Medicare card number or expiry date has changed, please let us know so that we can have the most up-to-date contact information for you.

 

When you arrive, please:

• Register with the medical office assistant.

• Have your up-to-date Medicare card ready.

• Update your contact information if there have been any changes.

 

Acute Illness and Same-Day Appointments

• We reserve a limited number of ‘same-day appointment’ time slots each day to accommodate sick patients who would benefit from medical attention the same day, and to prevent our patients from having to visit a walk-in clinic.

• If you require a same-day appointment and the clinic is fully booked, or if we are away from the office, you may choose to be seen by one of the other physicians in our office (based on availability). If appropriate, you can always choose to wait to see your physician when he/she is next available.

• If you are sick and wish to be seen the same day, calling the office early in the day will help us schedule you for a same-day visit.

• If you are experiencing a medical emergency or you believe you are experiencing a life- or limb-threatening situation, call 911 immediately, or go to the nearest emergency department.

 

Extended Hours

• A number of appointments will be offered outside of regular hours each week for patients who wish to be seen the same day and who could not be accommodated during regular hours. This is by appointment only. Should you choose to use this service, you may not necessarily be seen by your assigned family physician, but your visit will be documented in your patient chart and this record will be accessible to your family physician.

• Please call our office to schedule your after-hours appointment.

• Please note that prescriptions for monitored substances will not be provided during after-hours appointments under any circumstances. This includes but is not limited to opioids, sedatives, and stimulant medications.

• If you are experiencing a medical emergency or you believe you are experiencing a life- or limb-threatening situation, call 911 immediately, or go to the nearest emergency department

 

Follow-Up Appointments

• Depending on the nature of your visit, you may be asked to book a follow-up appointment in a certain number of days, weeks or months.

• Please book such appointments with the medical office assistant.

 

Caregivers, Friends and Family

• You are welcome to bring a caregiver, friend or family member to your appointment.

• Please be aware that another person’s medical concerns will not be addressed during your dedicated appointment.

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Multiple Medical Complaints

• We understand that you may sometimes have more than one issue or questions that you wish to discuss, and we will do our best to address as many as we reasonably can within our time constraints.

• Please prioritize your concerns ahead of your appointment. If you are unsure, the doctor can help you with this at the appointment.

• Appointments are allotted 10 to 15 minutes to address your primary concern.

• In order to properly address your secondary concerns and to avoid getting behind schedule, a follow-up appointment will be recommended if your secondary concerns cannot be fully addressed within the allotted time.

 

Late Arrivals

• We understand that unforeseen circumstances may cause you to be late for an appointment.

• Please call our office if you know that you are going to be late.

• Late patients may be accommodated as the day’s schedule permits. Depending on your arrival time, your appointment may need to be rescheduled.

 

Cancellations and Missed Appointments

• When we schedule your appointment, we are reserving a room for your particular needs, we prepare your records, and special instruments may also be prepared for your visit.

• Please call us as soon as you know you won’t be able to make your appointment. We ask that you please call by noon on the business day prior to your appointment to cancel or reschedule. If we are unavailable, please leave a message on our cancellation line. This courtesy on your part makes it possible to give the appointment to another patient who needs it.

• At your request, we can provide an appointment card to help you remember your appointment. A cancellation line is also available for your convenience. Please do not leave messages other than to notify us of a cancellation, as these will not be returned.

• Failure to present for a scheduled appointment will be recorded in the patient chart as a “no-show,” and a $45.00 no-show fee will be billed to the patient’s address with payment requested upon receipt.

• Frequent missed appointments (3 consecutive or 5 in a 12-month period), may result in dismissal from the practice.

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Medical Testing

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Test Results and Follow Up

• We understand that you may want to know the results of lab tests and other diagnostic testing as soon as possible.

• Be assured that when test results are returned to the office, your doctor reviews them.

• The medical office assistant will not share test results over the phone, even if they are normal.

• We will call you to notify you of test results that require follow up with a physician. However, in order to prevent missed results that require follow-up care, we recommend that you book an appointment to follow up on your results.

• When your doctor orders tests such as blood work and medical imaging, please call the office as soon as you get the date for your tests to book a follow-up appointment to discuss the test results and follow-up plan.

 

Rescheduling Missed Hospital Test Appointments and Specialist 

Appointments

• To reschedule appointments, please call:

  • Everett Chalmers central scheduling: 452-5094

  • Oromocto Public Hospital central scheduling: 357-4700

  • Specialist appointments: please call the specialist’s office

• If a test or referral needs to be reordered, you will be required to come in for an appointment with your physician.

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Prescriptions

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Prescription Renewal

• Prescriptions will not be renewed without an appointment.

• Prescriptions will not be faxed or phoned in to pharmacies unless there are extenuating circumstances, and there will be an associated fee.

• Patients are responsible for scheduling an appointment prior to prescriptions and refills running out.

 

Monitored Drugs

• This refers to prescription drugs that are controlled substances under the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (such as narcotic analgesics, stimulants, benzodiazepines and barbiturates), as well as other opioid medications not listed in the Act (such as tramadol-containing products).

• Such drugs are not routinely prescribed. Prescribing is only considered for very specific indications after a thorough assessment of the patient, a thorough review of the medical history and a trial of other treatment options, and at the physician’s discretion.

• Prescriptions for monitored drugs can be tapered and/or stopped at any time for suspicion of misuse, abuse, diversion, or suspected use of unsanctioned substances.

• Prescriptions will not be given for monitored substances during after-hours appointments under any circumstances.

• Patients who are undergoing treatment with narcotic analgesic medications will be asked to sign a detailed opioid contract outlining policies for prescribing and deprescribing opioids.

 

Medical Cannabis

• Most physicians with Capital Family Medicine do not prescribe medical cannabis.

• If you are being treated with medical cannabis, please continue to see your current prescriber for follow-up and prescription renewals.

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Your Personal Health Information

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Obtaining Copies of Your Medical Record

• A medical records release consent form must be completed and signed by the patient or Power of Attorney before any information can be released.

• An administrative and printing fee of 25 cents per page will be charged.

• Copies will be ready for pick up within 30 days from the date of your request. Please notify us of time constraints or special circumstances at the time of your request so that we may make efforts to honour it in a timely fashion.

 

Sending Your Records to a Third Party 

• You may at times require that your medical record or parts of it be released to a third party, e.g., for an insurance application, legal representation, transfer to another physician, etc.

• A medical records release consent form must be completed and signed by the patient or Power of Attorney before any information can be released.

• Records will be sent within 6 weeks from the date of your request. Please inform us of time constraints or special circumstances at the time of your request so that we may make efforts to honour it in a timely fashion.

• An administrative and printing fee will be charged.

• Postage or courier fees, when applicable, will be charged at actual cost.

 

Uninsured Services

This refers to services that a doctor provides that are not covered by Medicare. Please refer to Appendix 1 Uninsured Services Fees. Completion of forms is an uninsured service and will be subject to a fee. You may also be required to book an appointment to ensure accurate and timely completion of forms.

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Examples of uninsured services

• Insurance and tax forms

• Employer-requested notes, forms and physical exams

• Chart photocopies

• Chart transfer

• Travel medicine

• Certain immunizations

• Certain procedures

 

Payment Options

Cash or Cheque is preferred. Some physicians do offer debit and credit card options. Please enquire with the Medical Office Assistant to find out. A debit machine is available at a charge of $1.00 per transaction. There is an ATM located on the first floor. Cheques for Dr. Parker and Dr. Vandenberg are payable to Dr. Justin Parker Professional Corporation or Dr. Matthew Vandenberg Professional Corporation, respectively.

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Recording

It is strictly forbidden to produce any audio and/or video recordings for any reason during a medical appointment, in the waiting room, or any part of the Capital Family Medicine office. Such actions are considered a breach of privacy and may result in immediate termination from the practice.

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Harassment and Violence

Harassment, foul language, and violent or threatening behaviour against staff, service providers or other patients will not be tolerated and may result in immediate termination from the practice.