The extremely busy walk-in clinic in Port Alberni announced that it has been forced to reduce its hours for a period of one month due to a doctor shortage.
According to a recent post on the Mapleway (sic) Medical Center Facebook page, “from October 10, 2024 until November 12, 2024, the urgent care opening hours will be drastically reduced due to lack of medical doctors.”
The post goes on to say that the urgent care clinic will not be open in the evenings and “most day shifts will be closed too.” Normal hours will resume on November 12th, they stated. It is not clear what day shifts will be open.
The West Coast Urgent Care Clinic is a privately-owned service that is operated by three local physicians. It provides non-urgent medical care for people on a walk-in basis to get advice, assessment and treatment for minor illness and injuries and no appointment required.
With the nation-wide doctor shortage, the West Coast Urgent Care Clinic fills a gap for those that can’t get in to see their family physician and others who don’t have a doctor. It helps to divert less urgent medical cases from the hospital emergency departments and many Port Alberni residents rely on the service.
Located at 109-3949 Maple Way, the West Coast Urgent Care Clinic is normally open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The clinic re-opens from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for the evening shift. But a note on the clinic’s website says that the hours are subject to physician availability and patient volume.
Doctors that operate the Urgent Care Clinic have their own private practices and see patients at the Maple Way Medical Center as their schedule permits – usually during their dinner breaks or after a shift at the hospital.
A note posted on the wall at the clinic advised patients that a Dr. Adams would be leaving Port Alberni in October 2024. The spokesperson would not discuss the reasons for the reduced hours and did not confirm that hours are indeed reduced for the period of one month. But a visit to the Mapleway Medical Center Facebook page shows in real time whether the clinic is open.
Alberni Pharmacy owner, pharmacist Farah Kassam, has increased services at her business to help fill gaps left by reduced services at West Coast Urgent Care Clinic.
“Alberni Pharmacy is happy to also introduce our virtual walk-in clinic,” said Kassam.
With a virtual walk-in clinic, the patient calls Alberni Pharmacy at 778-419-3784 to book an appointment with a doctor who will call you on your phone during the day.
The virtual doctor speaks privately to the patient on the phone, and, if necessary, they can order lab work for the patient. They can prescribe medication which is sent directly to the pharmacist.
“The virtual clinic is really awesome,” said Kassam.
Patients can usually get same-day appointments, sometimes within the hour. Kassam says weekend and after-hour appointments, from 5 to 7 p.m., are available through this service. The virtual clinic does not do prescriptions for narcotics and they don’t do paperwork for patients, such as sick notes.
In addition, Kassam reminds people that pharmacists have expanded authority to prescribe medications for some common, minor ailments.
“Most pharmacists can also do emergency supplies and can prescribe for 21 minor ailments,” she shared.
Those minor ailments include cold, flu, bladder infections, yeast infection, cold sores, conjunctivitis, painful periods, headaches, birth control and Plan B – which is emergency contraception.
Alberni Pharmacy offers a women’s and children’s clinic from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday from October 10 to November 12, during the period of reduced hours at the Urgent Care Clinic. For weekend appointments, contact Farah Kassam on Facebook Messenger to book. On these days, patients can call or visit the pharmacy to have their healthcare needs addressed.
There are about twelve pharmacies operating in Port Alberni. Contact your local pharmacy to enquire about expanded health services.
