Policies & Procedures
Dear Valued Patients,
At Caremedics Family Health Organization (Caremedics FHO), the safety and the well-being of our patients, physicians and staff are our top priorities. To foster a respectful and professional environment, we’d like to share some important policies.
Appointment Timeliness: Our providers and staff strive to make your visit enjoyable. To enhance your comfort and reduce wait times, we have introduced a late arrival policy. If a patient arrives more than 7 minutes late for an appointment, it may need to be rescheduled. This policy helps ensure that those who arrive on time do not experience extended waits. If available, you may be offered the option to wait for another appointment later that same day. While we will do our best to accommodate late arrivals, we cannot compromise the quality and timeliness of care for our other patients. We encourage all patients to arrive at least 10 minutes early to allow time for registration and any necessary paperwork. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this policy, which helps us maintain excellent medical care and customer service.
Appointment Cancellations: Your scheduled appointment time is exclusively reserved for you. Our providers make every effort to adhere to appointment times, and we kindly ask for your cooperation in keeping your scheduled appointments. If you are unable to attend, please notify us as soon as possible. Providing us with advance notice allows us to accommodate other patients. A missed appointment occurs when a patient fails to show up without notifying the clinic or cancels without sufficient notice.
If you cannot attend your appointment, please contact our clinic immediately. Given the high demand for appointments, timely cancellations provide other patients with the opportunity for essential medical care. Appointments not canceled by 12 PM (noon) one business day prior to the scheduled time may incur fees, which vary based on the type of appointment missed.
There is no charge for rescheduling or canceling an appointment if you inform us. Fees may be waived at the physician's discretion in cases of family or health emergencies.
As a courtesy, we send appointment reminders via email or telephone for all scheduled visits. However, if you do not receive a reminder, you are still responsible for arriving on time for your appointment. Please note that a reminder is not guaranteed, and the absence of one does not exempt you from our appointment cancellation policy.
No-Show Policy: A fee will be applied for missed appointments that are not canceled at least 24 hours in advance, whether scheduled by phone or in person.
Email Communication: As our emails are not regularly monitored, we kindly ask that you do not send medical inquiries via email.
Urgent Care Policy: Our Urgent Care Clinic is intended for acute, urgent issues only. For chronic conditions, please follow up with your family physician. Additionally, please be aware that there are no urgent care services available on Fridays or Sundays, and daily hours may vary.
Continuity of Care and Outside Use: It is essential that all routine visits are scheduled with providers within the Caremedics Family Health Organization. We operate as a cohesive team with a shared chart, ensuring that your medical history, current health issues, prescribed medications, and ordered tests are accessible for future reference. Patients should always aim to book appointments with their Caremedics provider for any non-emergency situations. Visits to walk-in clinics or virtual care clinics outside of Caremedics FHO are billed back to your primary care provider by the Ministry of Health. Frequent use of primary care services outside the Family Health Organization may lead to discharge from the practice.
Access to care:
If you need to book an urgent appointment, there are several options available. Primary care providers reserve same-day appointment slots for urgent medical concerns.
Prescription Refills: All Caremesdics FHO Primary Care Providers will charge a fee of $25 for prescription renewal requests made without an appointment. This fee compensates your provider for the time taken to address the request. This service is offered as a courtesy when you are low on medications, but it does not replace the essential follow-up visit regarding your clinical condition. Typically, your provider will issue a limited supply of medication until you can schedule an appointment.
To avoid this fee, please make sure to renew your prescriptions during your visit with your physician.To schedule an appointment with your provider, please call us at 613-692-0244. Please note that narcotic prescription refills require a doctor’s appointment. The amount of medication prescribed will typically align with when your provider would like you to return for a follow-up assessment.
If your medication supply is running low before you can schedule a follow-up appointment, your community pharmacist may be able to renew your prescription, although a fee may apply.
If your pharmacist cannot renew your prescription, please have them fax the renewal request to your provider at 613-692-0244. It may take 3-5 business days for your provider to process the fax request. Again, please be aware that a fee of $25 will apply.
Please note that pharmacist-authorized renewals are not a substitute for regular visits with your primary care provider.
Uninsured Services: Not all medical services are insured by OHIP (e. g. forms, 3rd party physicals, medical notes, travel advice). We will inform patients in advance of the charges for the service. The clinic accepts several forms of payment - cash, debit or credit card payments.
Insurance Forms / Medical Certificates: Please note that there will be a charge for any requested notes or forms related to insurance purposes. We are in the process of updating our clinic policies to align with the Ontario Medical Association's guidelines for Uninsured Services, ensuring that we manage requests and concerns consistently.
Vaccination Charges: Vaccinations not covered by OHIP or mandated by Public Health (such as travel vaccinations) will incur a charge, which will cover the cost of writing the prescription and the administration of the vaccine. There is no fee for regular vaccinations which are recommended and covered by the Ministry of Health.
Request to change primary care provider: Patients are generally not permitted to transfer from their current primary care provider to another within the clinic, except in extenuating circumstances.
Research indicates that maintaining a long-term relationship with a primary care provider supports health and well-being. However, as with any long-term relationship, challenges may arise. We encourage patients to communicate directly with their primary care provider regarding any concerns. If a patient feels uncomfortable discussing issues with their provider, or if there has been a significant breakdown in the patient-provider relationship resulting in discharge from the practice, a request to transfer to another primary care provider within Caremedics FHO will be denied. In such cases, the patient is advised to seek a new primary care provider elsewhere.
Behavioral Policy: We kindly ask for your cooperation in maintaining a positive atmosphere. Any abusive or aggressive behavior towards our staff or physicians will lead to immediate dismissal from the clinic. We also reserve the right to refuse entry to any family member or individual who is not a registered patient.
Our dedicated staff and physicians are committed to providing you with the best possible care within the constraints of our health care system. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation, and we encourage you to approach our team with kindness as we work together to meet your healthcare needs.
Thank you for your attention to these important matters.
Warm regards,
Caremedics Manotick Family Health Organization