Online Doctor in Brooks

Problems a doctor can often sort out by video or phone

A general visit suits concerns where talking through your symptoms, and sometimes showing them on camera, gives the doctor enough to go on. If treatment makes sense, a prescription goes electronically to the pharmacy you name. The doctor may also hand you a requisition for bloodwork or a urine test at a community lab collection site, or refer you on. Controlled substances are never part of an online visit, so opioids, benzodiazepines and ADHD stimulants won't be prescribed.

• Coughs, colds and flu-like symptoms that keep dragging on
• Pink eye, a new rash or skin irritation you can show on camera
• Bladder symptoms such as burning or needing to go often
• Heartburn, a mild stomach upset or constipation
• Questions about a medicine you already take

Signs you need Brooks Health Centre or 911 instead

A virtual appointment is the wrong tool when something could be serious or needs a physical exam, such as checking vital signs, pressing on a sore belly or listening to your chest. Brooks Health Centre at 440 3 Street E keeps its emergency department open 24 hours, and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital provides a wider range of hospital services for south-eastern Alberta. Call 911 rather than driving yourself when symptoms are severe. If you can't tell how urgent things are, Health Link 811 connects you with a nurse for free, day or night.

• Chest pain, pressure or tightness
• Struggling to breathe or speak in full sentences
• Face drooping, arm weakness or slurred speech
• A deep cut, a possible broken bone or a blow to the head
• Sudden confusion, fainting or a seizure

What the visit costs

Your Alberta Health Card decides the price. With an active card, the general visit is free. Without one, for example if you've just arrived in Brooks and don't have an active card yet, or you're visiting from another province, it's $80. Some services are booked separately and priced differently. A doctor's note is $35 with an active card or $45 without, and a prescription refill visit is free with an active card or $50 without. Birth control, STI and skin or acne visits follow the same free-or-$80 pricing as this one. Weight loss, TRT and HRT, men's sexual health, hair loss and counselling are paid programs of their own.

Finding a family doctor or nurse practitioner near Brooks

A virtual visit covers today's problem, but a regular family doctor or nurse practitioner who knows your history is still worth having. Palliser Primary Care Network runs clinics in Brooks and Bassano, as well as Medicine Hat and Bow Island, and its website has a section for people searching for a provider. Alberta Find a Provider, from Primary Care Alberta and the Government of Alberta at albertafindaprovider.ca, shows doctors and nurse practitioners accepting new patients. You can filter by language, which helps if you'd feel more at ease explaining symptoms in your first language.

After your appointment

Before the call ends, the doctor goes over the plan, what to expect in the next few days and which changes should prompt you to get help sooner. What follows depends on what you discussed. Jot down the advice and the name of any medicine you start, and share that note with a family doctor once you have one, so your care stays connected. Here's what may come next:

• A prescription sent to the Brooks or Newell County pharmacy you picked
• A requisition to take to a community lab collection site
• A referral when further assessment is needed
• Clear warning signs that mean calling 811, going to emergency or dialling 911
• A suggestion to book again if you aren't improving