Frequently Asked Questions

Appointment Questions

Can I book appointments over email?

No, please call the clinic to make an appointment. Our clinic email is strictly for forms and photos. Any emails regarding bookings will not receive a response.

Can you email or text me an appointment reminder?

Unfortunately we do not send appointment notifications or reminders unless it is a specialists appointment that has been forwarded to us from the specialists office themselves. Please be mindful of patients and physicians time. Note down appointment date and times at the time of your phone call, and if you have forgotten, call the clinic to confirm. Please be aware there are fees for missed phone call and In person appointments. We will not further book appointments for patients who have an owing balance due to missed appointments.

I need to cancel/change my specialists appointment, can you change it?

Our staff does not deal with changing appointments after they have been made. Please keep in mind that once the specialists office or our clinic has called and informed you by phone, leaving a voicemail, or by sending an email notification about your appointment, we are no longer responsible for it. Please do not call the clinic and ask staff to contact your specialists office to change or cancel an appointment as it is the patients due diligence to be responsible for it. Doctors offices are highly busy and our job is to book the appointment. Once that is done we no longer are responsible for any changes.

What is the difference between a Nurse practitioner (NP) and a General Practitioner (GP) ?

This is a very common and general question that comes up at our clinic. Simply put, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between an NP and a GP. A nurse practitioner provides the same care as a family doctor does. They can diagnose and treat acute conditions, order diagnostic tests such as imaging or blood work, manage a patients overall care, and serve as their primary provider. The only difference is the amount of training they receive which can limit them to providing care to someone who has a more complicated condition - the duties of an NP revolve around providing patient primary care.

How can I become a patient at this clinic?

If one of our providers is accepting patients, please call into the clinic to receive a set of the provider’s forms. Once the forms are filled out and returned to us, we will call you to book a new patient appointment. We do not accept anyone who already has a family doctor. Please note that our provider’s will not always be accepting patients. If they are accepting patients, our website will reflect this.

Can I see my provider in person during the Covid-19 pandemic?

We are limiting our in-person appointments to prevent the spread of Covid-19. All concerns will first be assessed via a telephone consult. Then, if the provider feels it is necessary, they will ask you to book an in-person appointment with the front staff.

What happens if I miss my appointment (telephone, virtual or in person)?

If you miss your appointment, you will not be rescheduled for the same day. The provider will not call your phone multiple times as they must move on to the next patient. It may take up to a week to get another appointment, but we will try our best to accommodate you within the means of our busy schedule. If you miss an appointment without good reason, it will be deemed a ‘no show’ which warrants a fee to be paid prior to booking your next appointment. For virtual/telephone calls the no show fee is $50, for in person consults/procedures/exams the fee is $75, and for no show cosmetic appointments, the fee is $100.

Can I ask the provider to refill my medication without an appointment?

No, we require a virtual/telephone call booked in advance to refill all medications.

I am currently taking a medication which requires refills every few months. When should I book an appointment for that refill?

Please be aware of when your medications will run out. We may be unable to accommodate the situation if you call a couple days before your last dose. We suggest calling a week in advance.

Is Orchid Medical a walk-in clinic?

No. We used to accommodate walk-in patients, but we no longer see people who are not patients of providers at this clinic.

How long should I expect to wait for an appointment?

We try to book patients within the week if our schedule permits it. It may be longer or shorter depending on your concern. Please note, even if you were previously booked within a certain time frame, it does not guarantee you will be booked as quickly the next time you call.

What should I do if I am running late to my appointment?

Please call the office if you are running late, you may be asked to reschedule. If you are more than 10 mins late for your appointment, you will be rescheduled since the provider will have other appointments to attend to. You will not be rebooked the same day. A no show fee may apply if you have missed more than half of your appointment.

Form Questions

I would like to get a form filled out by the doctor, can I drop it off?

Yes and no. Our doctors fill forms based on their schedules, most of the time they are very busy during clinic hours and for that reason must work on the forms afterhours. Hence the time length it takes for them to be filled and therefore a fee charged as it does take up a lot of their time.

How much is the fee for sick notes, forms including physician statements, disability tax, doctor’s notes, driver’s medical exams, work, school, or medico-legal bundles?

The price varies based on the length of form and the time it takes to review records in order to give a full assessment from the provider.

How long will it take for my forms to be completed and returned?

It may take up to two weeks for forms to be completed and returned. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC, providers reserve the right to take up to thirty business days to fill and return forms. https://www.cpsbc.ca/files/pdf/PSG-Medical-Certificates.pdf

If I requested a note from a provider but no longer need the note, do I have to pay the fee?

Yes, if the note has already been written by the provider but is no longer needed, the fee still applies since the provider has taken the time to review patient records and write the note.