Annual Block Fee Plans

Richmond Medical Clinic will be charging a $25 fee for all medication prescription renewals that DO NOT require a medical appointment and for which you would prefer to not come in for a medical appointment. 

PRESCRIPTION RENEWAL FEES ARE INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL BLOCK FEE

Medication prescription renewal requests have significantly increased over the last few years. A prescription renewal involves work by our administrative team, as well as a full review by your physician. Because of the significant administrative burden, Richmond Medical Clinic will be aligning its practices with other medical clinics and will be charging a $25 fee.  If you do not wish to pay the fee, simply book an appointment.  You can do so online or by calling the clinic.

Some renewals absolutely require a medical appointment for renewal. When a patient has an appointment for a medication renewal, there will NOT be an administrative fee.  For any renewal without an appointment, there will be a $25 fee.

If you do not wish to pay the fee, simply book an appointment.

Prescriptions add to the ever-increasing administrative burden that family physicians have incurred over the last several years. Prescriptions are written to align with the drug monograph while considering individual side effects. It is best to meet with your physician to understand if your medications can be put on a similar schedule, or if they require renewals at different times. 

Both the physician and patient have the same goal - to minimize the number of appointments or charges incurred for prescription renewals, while ensuring appropriate follow up and review is performed. Prescription renewals that have multiple prescriptions on them will be viewed as one prescription renewal.

The change to our prescription renewal policy is not intended to segregate individuals. Everyone has the right to healthcare, and it will be provided to you. If you can’t afford to pay for a prescription renewal, you can simply book an appointment when you need your prescription renewed. 

Please make sure that you consider that all of the physicians have busy schedules. You should be booking your medication renewal when you pick up your last refill, or atleast 2 months prior to when you need it.

It is important that the Richmond Medical Clinic align its fees with other clinics, as guided by the Ontario Medical Association.  Charing for prescription renewals is common practice.
Richmond Medical Clinic has provided an option for block fees for those who use multiple non-insured services as a means to offset some of these costs for the patient. 

Our physician schedules are busy. We know this. You must plan ahead. We suggest booking your appointment (preferably online!) for renewals when you pick up your last refill. 

If you are looking to renew a medication related to mental health, like ADHD, anxiety, depression, please book a Prescription Renewal - Mental Health appointment.

Please make sure that you consider that all the physicians have busy schedules. You should be booking your medication renewal when you pick up your last refill, or at least 2 months prior to when you need it.

If you are unable to get an appointment online within 2 months prior to the end of your prescription, please call the clinic. If the clinic can’t book you within the 2 months, they will book you the next available spot, and there will not be a bridging charge to cover any gap because of the physician’s availability. The physician will write you a prescription to cover you until an appropriate appointment can be made.

If you refuse an appointment because it doesn’t fit within your calendar, but the physician’s availability allows them to see you within the 2 months, you will be charged a prescription bridging fee of $25.

Sometimes, regardless of whether you want to pay the renewal fee or whether you’ve opted in for block fees, you will have to see your physician for a prescription renewal.  

When medications are not stable or chronic OR require ongoing monitoring, patients will need an appointment to verify the medications are working as intended. This would include diabetes, ADHD and hypertension medications.  Depending on the medication, this is likely to occur when you start a new medication.  

All narcotics require an appointment to be renewed.

Medications that don’t require an appointment are those that are ongoing, stable medications.   If your blood work and other monitoring parameters are up to date, you would not need an appointment.  This is at the discretion of the physician and is determined after they do a review of your chart.

Note that some medications will not be renewed without an appointment, even if you are willing to pay a fee. This includes narcotics. 

Antibiotics are not medications that can be renewed. You must be assessed by a physician to receive this type of medication.

Beginning September 1, 2023, do NOT ask your pharmacy to send us a prescription renewal request unless you want to pay the $25 fee. Instead, book your prescription renewal appointment online, or call the clinic to book the appointment.  Navigate to Online Booking on our website to do this online.

If you book an appointment, you will NOT be charged an administrative fee. 

If you would rather not have an appointment, you can request a prescription renewal to be sent from the pharmacy, but you must pay the fee prior to the renewal being filled.