Office Policies
OUR HOURS:
Monday – Friday – 8:00 a.m. – 5: 00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday – Closed
Please note we are closed on all Statutory Holidays, including Easter Monday and Boxing Day.
Location
Our office is now located on the south side of Hastings Street between McDonald and Gilmore on the 2nd Floor of the Regent Building, which is now a Heritage Building and has been fully renovated. We are wheelchair accessible with large hallways, w/c accessible washrooms and an elevator.
Confidentiality
No information will be released without your written consent or a Court Order.
Appointments
- Norburn Medical offers pre-booked as well as minimal same-day appointments.
- Please do not walk in without an appointment. We are not a walk-in clinic.
- Please call in the morning if you require an urgent same-day appointment.
- Your needs will be respected, and if your regular physician is unavailable, you will be offered a time with the on-call physician.
Cancellations or No Shows (fee)
We require 24 HOUR NOTICE OF CANCELLATION as many patients are waiting for appointments, and failure to cancel will result in a charge payable before the next visit (BCMA Fee).
Personal Information
Please ensure that your current address, all phone numbers (home/cell/work) and email address are on file, along with emergency contact numbers. If you have recently moved, it is essential to update all information.
Medical Coverage
Please make sure your medical coverage is valid. If you do not have valid provincial coverage, a private charge for your visit will be payable the same day. We do not accept any coverage from outside of Canada, but you will be issued a receipt for your visit to claim upon your return home. Private Charges
Forms
Uninsured Services such as the following are not covered by MSP and are payable by you on the same day of service. We accept: cash/cheque/debit/visa & MasterCard.
Please note that all forms must have the patient section completed in full and signed BEFORE leaving forms with the physician or office staff:
Work-related forms or notes, pre-employment forms, all sick notes, driver medical forms, sports, travel consultation, school or camp forms, driver’s forms, annual physicals with no prior health risks, tax forms, prevention, immunizations i.e. all travel shots, Gardasil, Shingrix, Prevnar, Havrix, and other miscellaneous items such as FluMist/flu vaccine if not eligible etc.
Services Available
Immunizations, some vaccines, cryotherapy, surgery room for minor lacerations or stitch removals. A Life Labs outlet is located in the building, as well as a pharmacy, and there is an X-ray clinic nearby (two blocks East).
Travel consultations are a chargeable service to the patient and we do not stock travel medications. If you have questions regarding travel, please contact a Travel Clinic.
Prescription Renewals
Patients are responsible for keeping an adequate supply of prescribed medication available. We suggest keeping a supply of 1-2 weeks in case you are unable to speak with your doctor for a refill. If you have run out, and cannot get an appointment to speak with your doctor contact your pharmacy. They may be able to provide an emergency supply.
Chronic conditions must be reviewed periodically in the office, and your physician will prescribe enough medication to last until they wish to see you again. Before your appointment, please list prescriptions that will run out before your next scheduled visit. Please call for an appointment at least one week before your prescription runs out.
Periods between prescription refills are stratified to allow you and your physician to monitor your condition effectively and ensure the best possible medical effect. This is why your physician will request to see you rather than simply renew your prescription by telephone. Your physician wants to devote as much of their professional time and expertise as possible to you face-to-face during your visit.
At Norburn, each prescription you have been provided is the result of a collaboration between you and your physician and is intended to provide you with the safest, healthiest, most up-to-date therapeutic choice to assist you with managing your medical condition and keeping yourself healthy!
Telephone/fax refills require more than just a signature and impose a significant time burden on your physician. Therefore, convenience refills for ambulatory (able to walk) and otherwise–well patients will be subject to a $30 renewal fee.
Life Labs Test Results
To view your Life Labs test results, you may register and log in to the Life Labs system.
Please do not ask staff how long it will take for the results to come back, or to interpret the results for you. Our staff does not give out results over the phone, by fax or email; all patients are asked to speak with their physician following all tests.
To register with Lifelabs, you must:
- Be age 16 or older, or have received a Welcome Letter from Excelleris
- Have a BC CareCard number
- Have a valid email address for account verification
- Have had lab work within the last 30 days at:
- LifeLabs or BC Biomedical Laboratories
- Valley Medical Laboratories
- Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care or Fraser Health (as an outpatient only)
- Novita Laboratory
- And have the date of your last visit
Transfer of Medical Records
There is a charge for transferring your medical records, which will be recorded on a CD and sent to your new physician only after a signed release consent is received.
Specialist Referrals
A referral to a specialist requires a visit to your family physician. Please make an appointment with your doctor when you need a specialist referral to determine that a specialist’s consultation is required. Referral appointments are difficult to obtain, and we request that you make every effort to attend your appointment. Please call the specialist’s office to cancel or change your appointment if you cannot attend your appointment. Blood tests and imaging may need to be ordered before your appointment with the specialist.
Eye Exams
Due to growing waitlists, ophthalmologists no longer take appointments for simple vision checks to update glasses prescriptions. Unless you have other conditions involving your eyes, please visit your local optometrist to have your vision checked. Optometrists are fully qualified to provide complete eye exams. While there is a charge, it is often covered by most extended health plans. If you have any questions, please address them with your physician.
Patient Behaviour
We are working hard to provide the care you need; please be patient as we work to help you. We fully support our staff, so any aggressive behaviour, verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated in this office.
Discharged from Clinic
Patients identified as aggressive or abusive will be discharged from this clinic. Any patient discharged from the clinic by the doctor will not be allowed to attend another doctor in the clinic, and must find another physician outside the clinic.