Thank you for choosing Dominion Road Surgery for your healthcare needs. We are committed to providing high-quality, accessible medical care, and we are pleased to offer walk-in clinic sessions in the mornings to support this. However, in order to ensure the safety and well-being of our patients, staff, and doctors, we have procedures in place for how our walk-in clinic operates. We kindly ask that you take a moment to review and understand the following policy.
Walk-In Appointment Availability
Our walk-in clinic operates on a first-come, first-served basis, including seeing family members on the same visit. This could mean even though you have 2 people physically in front of you, the doctor will be consulting for 3 if an additional member is not present (i.e., child). Once we have reached full capacity for the morning session, we will not be able to accept any additional walk-in patients for that day. This is to maintain safe and effective care for everyone.
Prescription Requests
If you are visiting for a repeat prescription and have not had a medical review in the past 6 months, you will need to be seen by a doctor before any medication can be issued. This is both a safety requirement and a Ministry of Health guideline. If we are fully booked at the time of your visit, you will be asked to make an appointment for the next available session (which may not be the same day).
This policy also applies if you are requesting regular medication on behalf of a family member. In some cases, we may not be able to prescribe medication for someone who is not present.
Emergencies
If you believe your situation is an emergency, one of our nurses or physician assistants will assess you. If it is a genuine medical emergency, we will contact an ambulance and ensure you are transferred to hospital care.
If your condition is not deemed an emergency, we will ask you to either:
-Make a booking for the next available appointment, or
-Visit White Cross St. Lukes for urgent care.
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Medications Not Available via Walk-In:
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Please note that the following medications will not be prescribed or refilled during a walk-in visit:
1. Narcotics Opiates (e.g., OxyContin, morphine, codeine)
2. Anti-anxiety medications
3. Sleeping pill
4. Benzodiazepines (e.g., Lorazepam, Clonazepam, Diazepam)
5. ADHD medications (e.g., Adderall, Ritalin, Vyvanse)
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Even if these are part of your regular medication list, they require a full medical assessment each
time before they can be prescribed.
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Respect and Safety
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We have a zero-tolerance policy toward any form of verbal or physical abuse. We understand that healthcare situations can be stressful, and our team is here to support you. However, any aggression or abusive behavior toward staff or other patients will not be tolerated. If your behavior causes our staff to feel unsafe or threatened, we will contact the police. This may result in the withdrawal of services and a ban from returning to the clinic. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we continue to provide the best possible care for all our patients.
Cancellation Policy/No-Show Policy for Doctor Appointments
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Our goal is to provide quality medical care in a timely manner. In order to do so, we have had to implement an appointment/cancellation policy. The policy enables us to better utilize available appointments for our patients in need of medical care. $15 will be charged to your account for no-shows/late cancellations.
Cancellation/No-Show Policy for afternoon Appointments
We understand that there are times when you might miss an appointment due to emergencies or obligations for work or family. However, when you do not call to cancel an appointment, you may be preventing another patient from getting much-needed treatment.
Conversely, the situation may arise where another patient fails to cancel and we are unable to schedule you for a visit due to a seemingly "full" appointment book.
A "no show" is someone who misses an appointment without cancelling within 2 hours of their appointment time. No-shows inconvenience those individuals who need access to medical care in a timely manner.
How To Cancel Your Appointment
If it is necessary to cancel your scheduled appointment, we require that you call or email us. Afternoon appointments are high in demand, and your early cancellation will give another person the possibility to have access to timely medical care.
To cancel an appointment, please call our office from 9:30am to 5:00pm on
09 630-1212, press 1 for the reception, and leave a message for us if we are unable to pick your call up. You may also cancel via e-mail up to 2 hours prior to your appointment at reception@drs123.co.nz; otherwise, you will be charged a no-show fee of $15.00
