Updated: May 17, 2024

  1. I’m looking for a family doctor, are you accepting patients? Is there a wait list?
    – Currently, we are not accepting new patients. Please refer to our “New Patient” tab in regards to new patient application. We do not have a wait list.
  2. I’m already a patient of a doctor at your clinic, can my friends and family join as well?
    – Please call our office to confirm if your family doctor can take in additional patients. Do not send intake forms without consulting with our office.
  3. Do we offer walk-in service?
    – No, our walk-in service closed back on February 2023. Click here for more information.
  4. I have a BC PHN number, do I need to pay for my visit?
    – If your BC PHN is active, then you are covered for most basic medical phone/office visits. There are exceptions to this. Please click here for a general list of uninsured services. You can also call our office to confirm if you are uncertain. Please note: most medical forms and doctor’s notes are not covered under BC MSP so there will be a fee for completion for those forms and/or notes. (Fees subject to change)
  5. I don’t have a BC PHN number, can I still book an appointment with my doctor?
    – If you are registered with a doctor at our clinic. you can still book an appointment but there are uninsured fees based on the type of appointment. Currently, uninsured phone/virtual appointments are $122.00 while uninsured office appointments are $172.00 (Fees subject to change)
  6. I don’t have a BC PHN number, but I have an out-of-province PHN, can I still book an appointment with my doctor?
    – If you are registered with a doctor at our clinic, you can still book an appointment, but different provinces and territories have different guidelines on how your PHN can be billed. Please call our office for more information.
  7. I recently applied for BC MSP/PHN, how long do I have to wait in order for my PHN to become active?
    – It usually takes 3 months for your PHN to be activated. If you are unsure, please call BC MSP services at 604-683-7151 or 1-800-663-7100.
  8. I was told by the office that my BC PHN is inactive/deactivated? How did it happen? What can I do?
    – There are multiple reasons for your BC PHN to become deactivated. The most common reason is that you are either on a work/study permit or permanent resident status, but forgot to or didn’t declare with BC MSP that you are still living in BC. Other reasons are that you purposely deactivated your BC PHN and didn’t reactivate or you moved out of BC and returned back to BC later. You can call BC MSP services at 604-683-7151 or 1-800-663-7100 for more information on re-activating and/or re-applying.
  9. Do we offer cosmetic consultations?
    – Currently, we are not seeing new cosmetic clients, only returning clients who were seen before.
  10. What are our regular hours of operation?
    – We are open Monday to Friday from 9AM to 5PM excluding statutory holidays and weekends.
  11. What is our phone and fax number?
    – Our phone number is 778-379-4392 and our fax number is 778-379-4391.
  12. How many offices do we have?
    – We have 2 offices in Burnaby, both around the Metrotown area; and 1 office in Vancouver, around the Marpole area.
  13. I have an upcoming appointment to see my doctor, but I never been there before. Is there any instructions or landmarks you provide for me?
    – Please click here for detailed instructions to reach our three offices.
  14. I have an appointment with my family doctor today, but I’m feeling unwell. Will I be charged for late cancellation?
    – If you are feeling unwell, please notify us as soon as possible so we can have reschedule your appointment. As long as you notify us 24 hours before the appointment or call us in the morning of the appointment, we will try our best to help you.
  15. I recently moved, will my address be automatically updated?
    – No, please call our office to update your address as it must be done manually.
  16. I recently changed my first and/or last name, will my name be automatically updated?
    – If your name is updated through BC MSP, it will not be updated in our medical system. Please call our office and inform us so we can verify and manually update your record.
  17. The office is closed, but I need to see a doctor. Where can I go?
    – Please go to the nearest UPCC (Urgent and Primary Care Center) nearest to you. There are multiple UPCCs in the Lower Mainland. You can also go to the nearest hospital if your medical concern worsens. Click here for more information
  18. My family doctor is booked up, but I have an urgent concern, what can I do?
    – Please call our office during regular office hours and we will try our best to accommodate, and if your family doctor is not available, we will try to book you with another doctor.
    – Please note that we are a busy clinic so do not hesitate to go to your nearest UPCC (urgent and primary center) or nearest emergency department if your medical concern worsens. Click here for more information.
  19. I have a phone appointment regarding a form that needs to be completed, where can I send the form?
    – Please call our office and we can provide you the general email for patients to send forms. Please keep in mind that there may be a fee for the completion of your form(s). On the title and description of your email, please provide your full legal name and date of birth so we can forward the form(s) to the assigning doctor.
  20. I have a phone appointment regarding something on my skin, where can I send my photos?
    – Please call our office and we can provide you the general email for patients to send photos. On the title and description of your email, please provide your full legal name and date of birth so we can forward the form(s) to the assigning doctor.
  21. My doctor ordered a lab requisition for me. Do I have to pay?
    – If you hold a valid BC MSP, you will be covered and do not need to pay for most basic lab tests. There are some exceptions. Certain vitamin tests and prenatal lab tests are not covered and must be paid out of pocket unless your insurance covers the cost(s).
  22. My doctor ordered a lab requisition for me. Where do I go to get it done?
    – Your lab requisition will be emailed to you. You can either go to Lifelabs (there are multiple locations in the Lower Mainland) or hospitals that offer outpatient laboratory testing. Lifelabs offers both online booking as well as walk-in, but please confirm by looking up online. Please remember to bring your BC service card.
  23. My doctor ordered a lab requisition for me, but I’m not sure if I need to fast (not eat/drink) before going for my labs. How can I check?
    – There’s a box near the bottom of your lab requisition. If you need to fast before going for your lab test, it would say in that box and also the length of time for fasting. If you are unsure, you can call our office during regular office hours to confirm if fasting is required.
  24. My doctor ordered a x-ray requisition for me. Do I have to pay?
    – If you hold a valid BC MSP, you will be covered and do not need to pay.
  25. My doctor ordered an x-ray requisition. Where do I go to get it done?
    – Your x-ray requisition will be emailed to you. There is a list of radiology clinics listed on your x-ray requisition. X-ray are usually available by walk-in, no appointment booking necessary. Please remember to bring your BC service card.
  26. My doctor ordered an ultrasound requisition for me. Do I have to pay?
    – If you hold a valid BC MSP, you will be covered and do not need to pay.
  27. My doctor ordered an ultrasound requisition. Where do I go to get it done?
    – Your ultrasound requisition will be emailed to you. There is a list of radiology clinics listed on your ultrasound requisition. For ultrasounds, you will need to contact the radiology clinic to book an appointment. Please remember to bring your BC service card.
  28. My doctor ordered a CT/MRI/echo-cardiogram scan. Do I have to pay?
    – If you hold a valid BC MSP, you will be covered and do not need to pay.
  29. My doctor ordered a CT/MRI/echo-cardiogram scan. Do I get a copy of the requisition? How long is the wait time?
    – Your requisition will be faxed directly to the hospital (usually the doctor sends the requisition to the hospital closest to where you live, there may be exceptions). We do not provide a copy of the requisition to you. Once the hospital receives the requisition, they will triage and send us an appointment notice where we will notify you about the details. There’s also a possibility that the hospital will call your directly if the booking is within 1 week. The average wait time is anywhere from a few months to one year. Urgent/critical requisitions will be triaged and booked within 1 month.
  30. I recently received an appointment notice for my ultrasound/CT/MRI scan, but the wait time is too long. What can I do?
    – The booking for your ultrasound/CT/MRI scan are based on urgency of exam. The radiologist will review and triage the requisition and if the radiologist deems it as non-urgent, the wait time will be longer. If you do not want to wait that long, there is always the choice of going for private scan (paying out of pocket). Please call our office if you would like to discuss with your doctor if you are interested in paying privately.
  31. My doctor said that he/she will refer me to a specialist. Do I have to pay to see the specialist?
    – If you hold a valid BC MSP, you will be covered and do not need to pay. There may be additional tests or services that are offered by the specialists that may not be covered. You can confirm with the specialist during your scheduled appointment.
  32. My doctor said that he/she will refer me to a specialist. Do I get a letter? How long is the wait time?
    – Your referral letter will be faxed out to the specialist’s office. Once the specialist office received the referral letter, they will triage and booking accordingly. We do not provide a copy of the referral letter to you. Once the appointment is booked, the specialist office will either contact you directly or they will send an appointment notice to our office and we will notify you about the details. The average wait time is anywhere from a few months to two years. Urgent/critical referrals will be triaged and booked within 1 month.
  33. My medication running out, can my doctor just order a refill for me without an appointment?
    – Our doctors cannot authorize prescription refills without speaking to you first. Please call our office and we will try our best to accommodate your needs. If you are out of your medication, you can go to the pharmacy where you usually pickup your medication and ask for emergency refill and tell the pharmacist that you will book an appointment with your doctor for medication refill. We recommend you to book your medication refill with your doctor 1 to 2 weeks in advance to avoid running out of your medication.
  34. I want to check what vaccines I got. How can I find it?
    – You can visit the BC health gateway by click here. Once logged in, you can find your vaccine history as well your medical records including lab results and hospital visits.
  35. My newborn/toddler is due for their vaccinations, but my doctor’s schedule is not suitable for me. Where I can go to get my newborn/toddler vaccinated?
    – You can go to your local public health unit to book your newborn/toddler’s vaccination. Please click here for Fraser Health Authority vaccine booking. Please click here for Vancouver Coastal Health Authority vaccine booking.
  36. I’m planning a trip outside of Canada. I’m not sure what vaccines and medications to get. Can I talk to my doctor about it?
    – Unfortunately, our doctors are not certified in travel advice. Please go to a travel clinic where they can better assist your with your questions and concerns.
  37. I’m going for a trip outside of Canada. Do I need to notify you?
    – It is not mandatory, but we prefer that you do. This benefits you in a multitude of ways. For example, if a specialist office or hospital makes an appointment for you, we can help reschedule on your behalf so you won’t be penalized for a no-show or have your booking be cancelled entirely.
  38. I have my medical records from my previous family doctor or medical records from my home country. How can I send the records to my doctor can review them?
    – You can drop by to one of our office and give us a paper copy, USB flash drive, or CD of your medical records. We can then scan or download the records and you can keep your copy. If you have a electronic copy, you can give us a call and we can provide you the email for you to send us your medical records.
  39. My family doctor is retiring/leaving. Can I be transferred to another doctor in the clinic?
    – Unfortunately, our clinic does not offer internal patient transfers. Our doctors are at full capacity and cannot take in additional patients.
  40. I’m a patient and my family doctor works at this clinic. I wanted to know if I could switch over to another doctor in the clinic because of language/barrier/location/unhappy?
    – Unfortunately, our clinic does not offer internal patient transfers.
  41. I would like a copy of my medical records. Is there a fee for that?
    – There is a $60 fee (+GST) to request your medical records. Once payment is completed, we can either provide a copy in a CD or USB flash drive. We can also email you your medical records if you prefer that method. (Fees subject to change)
  42. I recently finished my intake appointment with my doctor at this clinic. I wanted to know how I can get my records from my previous family doctor and how much it will cost?
    – If you completed your Transfer of Records form, we would have faxed it out to your previous family doctor. They will then contact you and tell you of the transfer fee because the transfer fee varies from clinic to clinic. Once you paid the fee, your previous doctor’s office with either mail out your records or request you to pick up your records yourself and drop it off at one of our clinics. If you didn’t complete the transfer of records form, you can also contact your previous doctor’s office directly and ask for a copy of your records (payment required before your records are released to you).