Frequently Asked Questions
How do I obtain a refill of my prescriptions?
You can contact our office to refill a prescription provided you have seen one of our urologists within one year, otherwise you may need a reassessment. This prescription can be picked up by the patient or, in select cases, it can be called into your pharmacy.
What are your office hours?
Our office hours are from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. The office is closed between 12 pm and 1 pm for lunch. Our offices are closed on statutory holidays and may also be closed when the urologist is away on vacation or conference leave.
Why do I always get the answering machine when I call the office?
We receive over 125 phone calls per day! On the days that the urologist is in the office seeing patients, there will be over 65 patients booked making it challenging for the receptionist to answer the phone and deal with the patients in the office at the same time. On other days the staff must book surgeries or tests for patients among other duties and cannot always be available to answer the phone. We try to make the process as efficient as possible through our electronic medical record system, but sometimes it is difficult. We ask that the patients leave a clear message stating their full name, phone number and a brief reason for their call. We will return the call as soon as humanly possible. If the reason for the call is an emergency then please proceed to the nearest emergency department.
Why are there long waits in the waiting room? Why sometimes are there more than one patient booked in the same time slot?
Our surgeons have high volume practices but they are not available everyday in the office as they need to be at the hospital for surgeries. We often have to double book patients to get everyone seen in a reasonable time frame. This will sometimes create delays on the date of the appointment. We also cannot predict the demand or medical complexity of patients and thus some patients may take longer than normal appointment times. In addition, we often need to break bad news to patients and this is not an easy task. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
There may be occasions when the doctor may be delayed at the hospital or called back to the hospital for an emergency. If this happens and we see that you may have an extended wait, we will offer you the option to wait or reschedule.
Why does the doctor or office not communicate by email?
Communication by email is not an effective way to try to understand your medical condition or treatment. In certain cases and depending on your doctor, your email may be replied. Replying emails is time consuming and takes away from other clinical duties. However, we prefer in person discussions. We apologize for this inconvenience.
We encourage that you contact us by phone or email if you need to change your appointment. Failure to show up for appointments is not fair to other patients as it lengthens their wait time for appointments or procedures.
Why can I not get test results over the phone?
Providing test results over the phone does not go against the policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Your doctor can discuss with this you on an individual basis. However, we have found that giving results over the phone often involves discussion of other questions. However, this takes the doctor away from his clinical duties or the administrative assistant from answering the phone, booking surgeries or tests for other patients. We strongly encourage you return to the clinic for discussion of any laboratory or radiology tests.
You can contact our office to refill a prescription provided you have seen one of our urologists within one year, otherwise you may need a reassessment. This prescription can be picked up by the patient or, in select cases, it can be called into your pharmacy.
What are your office hours?
Our office hours are from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. The office is closed between 12 pm and 1 pm for lunch. Our offices are closed on statutory holidays and may also be closed when the urologist is away on vacation or conference leave.
Why do I always get the answering machine when I call the office?
We receive over 125 phone calls per day! On the days that the urologist is in the office seeing patients, there will be over 65 patients booked making it challenging for the receptionist to answer the phone and deal with the patients in the office at the same time. On other days the staff must book surgeries or tests for patients among other duties and cannot always be available to answer the phone. We try to make the process as efficient as possible through our electronic medical record system, but sometimes it is difficult. We ask that the patients leave a clear message stating their full name, phone number and a brief reason for their call. We will return the call as soon as humanly possible. If the reason for the call is an emergency then please proceed to the nearest emergency department.
Why are there long waits in the waiting room? Why sometimes are there more than one patient booked in the same time slot?
Our surgeons have high volume practices but they are not available everyday in the office as they need to be at the hospital for surgeries. We often have to double book patients to get everyone seen in a reasonable time frame. This will sometimes create delays on the date of the appointment. We also cannot predict the demand or medical complexity of patients and thus some patients may take longer than normal appointment times. In addition, we often need to break bad news to patients and this is not an easy task. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
There may be occasions when the doctor may be delayed at the hospital or called back to the hospital for an emergency. If this happens and we see that you may have an extended wait, we will offer you the option to wait or reschedule.
Why does the doctor or office not communicate by email?
Communication by email is not an effective way to try to understand your medical condition or treatment. In certain cases and depending on your doctor, your email may be replied. Replying emails is time consuming and takes away from other clinical duties. However, we prefer in person discussions. We apologize for this inconvenience.
We encourage that you contact us by phone or email if you need to change your appointment. Failure to show up for appointments is not fair to other patients as it lengthens their wait time for appointments or procedures.
Why can I not get test results over the phone?
Providing test results over the phone does not go against the policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Your doctor can discuss with this you on an individual basis. However, we have found that giving results over the phone often involves discussion of other questions. However, this takes the doctor away from his clinical duties or the administrative assistant from answering the phone, booking surgeries or tests for other patients. We strongly encourage you return to the clinic for discussion of any laboratory or radiology tests.