Dr. Allen Greenspoon

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Emergency & After Hours - What are the emergency clinic hours?

  2. How to Use the Clinic - What, When and How?

  3. Telephone Protocol - What should I know before calling the clinic?

  4. Office Protocol - Do I need to bring the OHIP card every time?

  5. Medical Referrals - What should I do after I was refered to a specialist?

  6. Test Results - What should I do next after the test?

  7. Medical Renewals - How can I renew my prescription? Can I do it over the phone?

  8. Form & Fee - I need a Return to Work Note. How long does it take & How much does it cost?

  9. One of our company employee is injured in the accident, what should I do?

  10. Pre-hire screening for the employers - Will the candidate fit the job?

  11. How to get the Alcohol & Drug test for DOT Compliance?

Q: What is the emergency clinic hours? What should I do if I have an emergency when the office is closed?

A:Emergency clinic hours are 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm Monday thru Thursday and 9:00 am until 12 pm Saturday

Note: The only exception would be if Christmas, Boxing Day or New Years’ falls on a Saturday then the clinic is closed. The emergency clinic is for medical emergencies only. We do not do prescription renewals, give test results, or do forms during the emergency clinic. Only your emergency will be handled at this visit. You do not need an appointment for the clinic just come to suite Ml at 5:30pm. We do not check in early for this clinic. If you come in before 5:30 you will need to wait to register with the receptionist.
On Friday, each physician is responsible for his or her own emergencies as there is no evening clinic. Make sure to call your physicians office on Friday’s for direction.

You can call our office 24-hours per day 7-days per week if you need medical assistance. There is a recording that provides you with directions on how to handle your emergency. You can call the 1-866 given to you on the message to speak to a registered nurse. She will triage the call and contact the physician if necessary. It is very important that you not go to walk-in clinics or use physician house call services. Once you sign the document agreeing to become a patient clinic other than our office the only other emergency facility you can use if the hospital emergency room. This includes the St. Joseph’s emergency clinic in the east end.

Q:How to use the clinic for routine visits and same day emergencies?

A: All patients are to call their own family physician for an appointment Monday to Friday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm. We are closed for all statutory and civic holidays.
When calling the office please inform the receptionist of why you would like to see the physician. Well women physicals, well baby physicals, and pre-natals are done in our clinic by the Nurse Practitioner or the Registered Nurses.
We do not answer the telephones from noon until 1:00pm. Please do not walk into the office call first for direction. If you have a same day emergency please call our office to speak to one of the receptionists. When you are speaking to the receptionist let her know what the emergency is. She will then let you know if you should come in between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm or wait until the evening clinic. Dr. Greenspoon and Dr. Yellin share the responsibility for their patients from 9:00 am until 5:00pm. If it is an emergency and you are told to come into the office you could be seeing either one of these physicians. Dr. Zalter and Dr. Randazzo handle their own daily emergencies 9:00 am until 5:00pm.

Q:Telephone Protocol? What should you know before calling the clinic?

A: We have listened to the concerns of our patients, and over the last year we have added new incoming lines, dedicated outgoing lines, and updated our telephone system to try to streamline the process for our patients when they call our office. We are a very busy office, and sometimes when you call in you may need to wait on the line before your call is answered. Occasionally, when you call our office you will get a busy signal, especially the first thing in the morning. Please be patient try your call again.
When you speak with our receptionist please make sure you explain to her what your needs are, she will assist you professionally, and quickly. It is important that you let her know why you are coming in to see the doctor we need to know this for scheduling purposes. Also, if you are calling in for a same day emergency let the receptionist know if you have a pre-existing health condition that could impact on when you should come in. Someone with a heart condition, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and other chronic diseases may need to be seen sooner on an emergency than a healthy child or adult.

Q:What is the Office Protocol? Do I need to bring the OHIP card every time?

A: When you come to our office please have your health card ready for the receptionist. You must make sure your health card is valid. A valid health card is a card that has your current address, and is not expired. If your card is expired you may need to pay $25.00 for the visit. This will be refunded to you when you produce a valid health card. Remember to change your address you can do this on-line, you can use kiosk in the mall, or go to the OHIP office on King Street. You need to inform the front desk of any address, telephone or contact number changes. If we need to contact you for a referral or test results we need this information.
The receptionist will check you in, you will have a seat in the waiting room, and the medical assistant will take you to your room when it comes available.
We do leave emergency time slots open during the day so we may not always be running on time please be patient the doctor will see you as soon as possible.

Q:Medical Referrals - What should I do after I was refered to a specilist?

A: When your physician, is referring you to a specialist or for a test make sure that we have your correct contact information. If you do not hear from our office within 7-10 working days by mail or by telephone call our office or drop in to check on the status of your appointment. Some referrals, e.g., orthopedic specialists, pain clinic referrals, etc., have waiting lists anywhere from months to a year or longer. It is the patient’s responsibility to make sure that they call our office for the appointment if they do not hear from us.

Q:Test Results - What should I do next after the test?

A: When you have tests done by the physician we will contact you if there is a problem. We do not call you if the test results are normal. In the event your problems still persist and you have not heard from us call our office to book an appointment.

Q:Medical Renewals - How can I renew my prescription? Can I do it over the phone?

A: Dr. Greenspoon, Dr. Zalter, and Dr. Yellin will give you 3, 6, 9, or 12 month repeats on your maintenance medications. Please book an appointment before you leave the office for your next renewal. Look at the number of renewals you have and book accordingly especially if you are on a narcotic or controlled substance. If they are trying you on a new medication and would like you to follow-up in a specified time period make the appointment before you leave the office. Occasionally, exceptions will be made if it is urgent, and you need your maintenance medications. In these instances have your pharmacy fax our office. We will not renew narcotics, controlled substances, or antibiotics over the telephone or by fax. You need to book an appointment. If you lose your narcotics the doctor may not renew your prescription.

Q:I need a Return to Work note: How long does it take & How much does it cost?

A: There are charges for different forms. The following is a list of some:

  • RTW (Return to Work) Notes/Sick Notes $10.00
  • Other forms: $25.00 average up to $100.00 depending on the forms
  • Drivers Medicals: $50.00

Q:One of our company employee is injured in the accident, what should I do?

A: No appointment necessary. Send patient to the clinic by taxi or private vehicle.

If an injury occurs within half an hour before closing call 905-529-7272 or 905-529-9622. This will ensure that the physician will be here if the employee is delayed arriving. If it is after hours and you urgently need to reach the physician call 905-546-8613, please identify yourself that you are from a company and have them page either Dr. Greenspoon or Dr. Yellin.

Workers will be given a form outlining restrictions, if any, and he will be asked to give this to his/her supervisor as soon as possible. Our office will call your company with a courtesy call to let you know that the patient was seen.

Q:Pre-hire screening for the employers - Will the candidate fit the job?

A: WMC offers pre-hire screening for employers wishing to establish a worker’s fitness for work. We can provide your company with your worker’s baseline physical abilities and function. This screening provides a baseline to evaluate future injuries and can assist in WSIB claims management as it relates to SIEF. Should a WSIB claim be incurred, pre-existing medical conditions are documented at baseline. We consider pre-hire screening an important part of a complete occupational program.
We will customize this screening to your company job descriptions or Physical Demands Analysis. The following exam/tests are available for new hire medicals:


Q:How to get the Alcohol & Drug test for DOT Compliance?

A: If your company requires DOT drug testing to comply with U.S. Law, please contact 905-529-7272.

  • WAW has a Medical Review Officer On Site, licensed to interpret Drug and Alcohol tests
    - Dr. Joel Yellin MD, MRO
  • WAW provides the opportunity to purchase a Drug and Alcohol Policy written by a leading Toronto legal firm specializing in employment law.
  • WAW provides drug and alcohol testing for all conditions. Our collection site is conveniently located in Hamilton, Ontario, just west of QEW at Hamilton Community Health Centre, Suite M1-414 Victoria Avenue North, Hamilton, ON L8L5G8
Below are more information about A.D. test and D.O.T. compliance.
Canadian companies operating commercial motor vehicles (CMV) into or within the United States are required by the U.S. Department of Transport to comply with regulations for the institution and maintenance of a drug and alcohol testing program. All drivers must be part of a pool of drivers who may be selected at random for testing. This is a requirement for all American CMV operators and extends to any foreign operator with vehicles operated in the U.S.

Drug and alcohol testing is mandated in several conditions:
  • Pre-placement
  • Post-accident
  • Random
  • Return to work
  • Compliance with rehabilitation upon return to work.
At present, it is a requirement that any pool have 50% annual random testing for drugs and 10% for alcohol. Pooling of different company drivers together allows smaller companies to comply without having to repeatedly test a small work force.

Drug testing is done through obtaining a urine specimen. Testing is done for opiates, marijuana, PCP, cocaine and amphetamines. Positive urine drug samples are reviewed by a Medical Review Officer to ensure there is no alternative medical explanation for a positive result before the result is transmitted to the employer. Alcohol levels are done through breath alcohol testing.

It is imperative that all employers have a Drug and Alcohol policy for their company that complies with both American requirements and Canadian legislation.
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