Clinic Policies

Appointments:

  • Please call ahead to make appointments to see the doctor.

  • Please briefly tell the secretary the reason for the appointment, ie. annual physical, followup, acute illness (cough, fever, pain)

  • If you are unable to attend your appointment, please call to cancel 24 hr prior, otherwise, a cancellation fee may be charged to you.

  • If you believe your medical concern is an emergency

  • (ie, chest pain, fainting, dizziness, one-sided weakness, or severe abdominal pain), please go to the nearest hospital Emergency Room (ER) or call 911.

  • If you are experiencing a new illness (that is not an emergency) please call to make an urgent appointment with your doctor. If your doctor is unavailable, please ask to see another available doctor as a walk-in patient at Get Well Clinic, as your medical record will be accessible by other doctors within the same clinic.

Test Results:

  • Please note that it is unsafe to give test results over the phone, please make an appointment to discuss the test results in person.

  • If you do not hear back from Dr. Lai or the clinic, it does NOT mean everything is okay. Please make an appointment to check and discuss results with the doctor, in person. Sometimes, the clinic never receives completed test results, so by coming in, you help us followup on missing test results.

Leaving Messages at the Clinic:

  • All our phone messages are logged and returned by our receptionist staff.

  • When leaving messages, please clearly leave your full name, phone number, and the reason for the call (what do you want) in order that we may properly address your concern.

  • If you would like to leave a specific message for the doctor, you may either leave a written note for the doctor at the front desk, fax a note to the clinic, or mail a letter by Canada Post.

  • Unfortunately, Email service is currently unavailable as it is considered insecure. Please make an appointment to discuss any matters in person.

Extra Fees:

  • Some services provided may NOT be covered by OHIP. As such, a separate fee may be charged to patients for these non-OHIP services such as:

    • missed appointments (if you do not call to cancel before 24 hrs)

    • school, work forms

    • travel advice and immunizations

    • driver physicals, camp physicals

    • doctor's notes for school or work

    • insurance notes for orthotics, massage, or other plan benefits

    • temporary refills for medications by fax or phone to the pharmacy

    • TB skin tests

    • removal of skin lesions for cosmetic reasons

    • copies or transfer of medical records

Other:

  • Fax or phone refills are strongly discouraged. Please visit the doctor one (1) month before you run out of medication in order to followup on your medical condition and ask for refills. If you do need an urgent temporary refill (because the next booked appointment is after you run out), a fee may be charged for this service.

  • Some pharmacies may be trained and licensed to refill existing chronic medications without a doctor's prescription. Please check with you local pharmacist for more information. If you do ask your pharmacist to refill your prescriptions, please do see your doctor at least every 6 months.