Do I need to get blood work before my prescription is renewed?

The answer to this question is complicated. You might require lab work to renew your prescription and you might not.

How do I tell if I need blood work?

If you need blood work for your prescription to be renewed, it will be noted in your patient plan by your doctor. You may have also been sent an invoice for blood work from the office. You can search Clarity Health or Quickbooks in your email to see if you were sent an invoice and have forgotten.

Prescriptions that require blood work for renewals require planning on the patient's part to ensure you have your blood work completed before your prescription runs out. Blood work is used to safely monitor your blood levels of treatments such as B12, Vitamin D and thyroid medication.

What happens if I don't get my blood work done in time?

If you do not have your blood work completed before your prescription runs out, your doctor may choose to offer a short term extension on your prescription to allow you to get your lab work completed (at a $50 fee for the prescription refill). Your doctor also reserves the right to not refill your prescription without the necessary lab work. This will depend on many factors including the safety of the prescription and your personal health history.

Can I get my blood work completed with my family doctor for free?

Patients have a choice for where they have their blood work completed however there are a few considerations when choosing how to complete your blood work.

Can it be done in a timely way?

Blood work with your family doctor likely requires an appointment, them to agree to the recommendations, a lab appointment, accessing the results and then sharing them with your Naturopathic Doctor.

Blood work with your ND arrives in your patient chart directly at the office.

If you choose to do your lab work with your doctor, it is your responsibility to leave enough time to manage the OHIP system, and retrieve your blood work from your doctor to be able to share it with your ND. Please upload your blood work from your doctor into your patient portal before your appointment with your ND.

Is your lab work an OHIP-funded service?

Not all lab work recommended by your ND is a benefit of the OHIP funded health care plan. For example, OHIP will only cover a partial thyroid panel, or an expanded iron panel once patients have already been diagnosed with iron deficiency on a previous test.

Your ND has chosen your lab work with care, and has made recommendations based on the most efficient and expedited use of your time. If you choose to have OHIP cover your tests, you may not qualify for every test your ND has suggested.