Please carefully review our office policies.​

These may change without notice and may vary by physician.

Change of Address  

 

Please notify our staff of any changes to address, telephone work or cell phone numbers. 

 

Visit Length Policy 

 

The length of medical appointments are 15 minutes. If you require more time during an appointment please notify staff when booking the appointment to allow for proper scheduling.  

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Periodic Health Exam Policy 

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Periodic health examinations must be booked in advance, as this visit will be dedicated to do a comprehensive health audit and education session.

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Rescheduling Late Patient Policies 

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Reserved appointment times in any medical office is limited and valuable. It is extremely important for patients to honour their reserved times. Failure to do so deprives other patients from receiving needed care in a timely fashion. We reserved the right to fit in or re-book patients who are late for appointments. 

 

Missed Appointment Policy 

 

Please call our office promptly, if you will be unable to attend an appointment, we (or clinic name) require at least 24 hours’ notice for appointment cancellations. By notifying us in advanced we are able to accommodate other patients. Since appointments are in high demand, your prompt cancellation will give another patient opportunity to access timely medical care.  

 

Same day Appointments / Urgent Visits  

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We routinely reserve several appointment slots to accommodate concerns that should be seen urgently. When you are sick, we will see you as quickly as possible—help us help you by calling early for a same-day appointment. 

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Complex Medical Issues and Special Consideration 

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If you are travelling a long distance and/or believe that your concerns will require more time with the doctor, it is important for you to inform our receptionist so that an extended appointment can be booked as soon as possible. 

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Counselling, Interviews and Stress Management Issues 

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Patients should inform reception when they are calling about counselling, interviews or stress management issues so that more time can be scheduled. 

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Cross-Coverage Policy 

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When your physician is away, the associate physicians will reserve additional same-day visits to accommodate your urgent needs, if possible.   

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Physician Gender-Neutral Policy 

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Patients must be comfortable with receiving all of their urgent comprehensive care by the trusted associate (no matter what the physicians gender may be) when their regular physician is away. 

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Uninsured Services Policy 

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Fees for medical services that are not covered by the provincial insurance plan are the responsibility of you, the patient. The fees assigned are as per the recommendations of the provincial medical association. We realize and will always take into consideration that some patients may not be able to pay for these services. Please don’t hesitate to inform us if these charges pose a financial hardship to you. 

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Pet Policies 

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This clinic is committed to allowing full access to our facility to patients with service animals. Service animals are permitted in our clinic to assist patients with physical, mental and / or sensory disabilities. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure the animal is properly controlled to avoid unnecessary disruptions, risk to safety or damage to property.  

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Ending a Physician-Patient Relationship Policy 

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Should a patient be considered for termination, notice of termination shall be given in writing no less than [30 days] prior to intended date of termination.  

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Prescription Renewal Policies 

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For prescription renewals, patients must bring their medications, vitamins, over the counter medication in original packaging and possibly a print out from their pharmacist.   

 

Please allow for at least 2 weeks before you run out of your prescription to call to book an appointment, otherwise we may not be able to accommodate your request.  

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Accessing your Medical Records Policy 

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Under the Personal Health Information Protections and Access Act (PHIPAA), if a patient requests access to medical records, your doctor will make these records available for inspection within 30 days without charge. If a patient requires help understanding the record, the doctor will schedule an appointment to go over the information. 

If a patient would like a copy of their record this can also be received within 30 days of a request. A small fee for the costs of photocopying and mail out will be charged to the patient.  

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Prescribing Opiates 

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Coastal Communities Health Home (CCHH) will prescribe opioid medication for CCHH patients with chronic pain in a rational and accountable manner. This may include an assessment of your risk for addictive behaviour, a baseline pain assessment, your entering into a treatment agreement, sending of a letter to your pharmacist and ongoing follow-up appointments. 

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Telephone Call

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We will try our best to respond to your messages as soon as possible. However, please be aware that a message may take 24-48 hours to process and for a response to be issued. 

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Appointment Booking Policy 

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Appointments can be made by calling our practice directly.  

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New Patients Policy 

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First time patients are asked to arrive 15 minutes early to allow for adequate time for completing the initial paperwork. 

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Test Results 

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We promptly review test results. We usually do not call patients with normal results unless arranged for in advance. You will however be contacted by telephone if there are concerning abnormal results that need to be discussed. If you would like to discuss the result with your physician please book an appointment to do this. When booking, please inquire with the reception to make sure your test results in question are on file. In all cases, we encourage you to consult with the doctor if your symptoms remain or have gotten worse. Please note staff are unable to provide results via telephone, fax or email. 

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Confidentiality Policy 

Confidentiality is of the utmost importance and will be strictly maintained. Your medical information will NOT be released to anyone (including members of your family) without your written permission. If we are unable to reach you directly over the telephone we will leave a message for you to contact us. 

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Patients are permitted to restrict the disclosure of such information. For this reason and in conjunction with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New Brunswick regulations, we are required to obtain written express consent from the patient before we disclose the patient’s personal health information. It is permissible for a parent or legal guardian to manage these tasks for a minor and by default a parent or guardian is assumed to have authorization for a minor. Children sixteen (16) years of age or older MUST also grant authorization to a parent or guardian. 

 

Clinic Environment Policy 

We are committed to building and preserving a pleasant and comfortable environment for patients, staff, doctors and visitors alike. Consequently, we have a zero tolerance policy for any sort of harassment/abusive behaviour towards office staff, nurses, doctors or other patients. This includes verbal, physical harassment and any abusive communications via phone and/or in person. This type of behaviour will be grounds for immediate dismissal of the patient from the medical practice. 

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