FAMILY PRACTICE POLICIES
This document outlines our office policies to help guide your experience with Dr. Bax. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact our office
Here’s an overview of our approach to your care:
1. Appointment Scheduling & Availability
Dr. Bax is a solo practitioner at his Port Moody office. All appointments are made online, If you have a semi-urgent matter, please reach out to us at drbaxfp@BoundlessBC.com. This email is monitored throughout the day. There is no option for booking via telephone. In cases of illness, emergencies, or other circumstances, Dr. Bax may rely on locum physicians to ensure continuity of care.
2. Follow-Up Appointments
After investigations or tests, we ask that you schedule a follow-up appointment to review your results. This ensures that we are able to provide you with clear communication and comprehensive care.
3. Prescription Renewals
All prescription renewals require an appointment for medication review. This ensures that your medications continue to be the most appropriate treatment for you. In rare cases where a fax refill is necessary, a $20 fee may apply.
4. Appointment Policies
We kindly request that you provide at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, so we can offer the time slot to another patient.
Missed appointments or cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice will incur a $50 cancellation fee.
Please arrive 5 minutes early for your appointment. If you arrive late, your visit may need to be rescheduled, and a missed appointment fee may apply.
Repeated missed appointments may result in discharge from the practice.
5. Appointment Booking
Appointments can be booked online at www.boundlessbc.com/fp. Standard appointment times are 15 minutes to ensure punctuality for all patients; some issues may need mor than one appointment to be addressed appropriately.
6. Family Appointments
If more than one family member needs to be seen, we ask that separate appointments be booked for each person to ensure that each individual’s care receives the attention it deserve
7. AI Scribe
To enhance your care, Dr. Bax uses AI Scribe technology to assist in record dictation. This helps maintain accuracy and efficiency while focusing on your needs during your visit. If you prefer that this dictation tool be turned off at any point or if you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to let Dr. Bax know.
8. Electronic Communication
For your privacy and safety, we do not respond to medical inquiries or appointment requests via email or other electronic communication unless explicitly invited to do so.
9. Respectful Environment
We are committed to maintaining a respectful and inclusive environment. Harassment, abuse, or any form of intimidation, whether verbal, physical, or through electronic communication, will not be tolerated and may result in discharge from the practice.
10. Uninsured Services
Some services, such as insurance forms, prescriptions for physiotherapy, sick notes, and cosmetic procedures, are not covered by MSP. Payment for these services is due prior to these appointments. A full list of uninsured services is available upon request.
11. Forms & Documentation
Many forms require time and attention to complete. We kindly ask that you provide the form in advance, allowing us time to review and complete it. We will notify you once the form is ready for pickup and arrange payment details at that time.
12. Cannabis Prescriptions
Due to the ongoing lack of evidence for cannabis use for most conditions, Dr. Bax does not prescribe CBD or THC cannabis products.
13. Opioid Treatment
We prioritize non-opioid treatments. For those who require opioid prescriptions, we have safety protocols in place, including opioid agreements, drug screening, and regular monitoring through Pharmanet, to ensure safe and effective care. The prescription of opioids is generally only appropriate for cancer related pain. Evidence does not support the chronic prescribing of opioids (including codeines products) for non cancer related pain.
14. Training and Education
As part of our commitment to the future of healthcare, we participate in Family Medicine Training. Family medicine residents, medical students, and other healthcare learners may be involved in your care. We appreciate your support in helping train the next generation of healthcare professionals.
15. Mask Exemptions
As there is no current evidence to support the need for mask exemption notes, we are unable to provide them. Should you have a suspected infection we ask that you wear a mask to your appointment. The clinic is located inside Inlet Pharmacy which may also have their own masking policy at times which we ask that you respect to protect the care of vulnerable people.
16. Minor ailments
The practice is located within Inlet Pharmacy. Inlet Pharmacists can prescribe for minor ailments without the need for a prescription. Minor ailments which can be reviewed by the pharmacist team
include allergies (allergic rhinitis), Cold sores, fungal infections, Heartburn (acid reflux), Hemorrhoids, headaches, Impetigo, indigestion (upset stomach), itching (including from bug bites), menstrual pain, mild acne, nicotine dependence, oral fungal infections (thrush), oral ulcers (canker sores), pink eye (conjunctivitis), shingles, sprains, and strains, skin rash (dermatitis), threadworms or pinworms, uncomplicated urinary tract infections, vaginal candidiasis (yeast infection) and contraception
17. Vaccination
We are committed to population health and the protection of our most vulnerable community members. We strongly encourage vaccination for all medically eligible patients as part of our approach to preventive care. Staff at Inlet Pharmacy can support you in accessing routine vaccinations.