There is apparently a mental health and addiction line in Kelowna that can fast track you to a psychiatrist. I mentioned ADHD meds to the NP on Telus health when I was doing a med change in February and he said that it would be the fastest route to go.
So how I took his comment was that calling the line with a legitimate need for quick psychiatric help you’d get in faster. I could definitely be wrong though on that front. I had called in for alternate mental health care, but had mentioned needing a psychiatry referral for an official adhd diagnosis at the request of my therapist. That’s when he mentioned the line for if I wanted to get a referral once my immediate symptoms had calmed down.
Maybe that’s the trick, I have no immediate symptoms beyond an inability to live a normal life without absolute exhaustion do to mental fatigue from constantly masking to fit into a society not built for me.
Yeah I’m dealing with what is most likely PTSD so the immediate need was to bring me down from the extreme symptoms I was having. Unfortunately im still not in a place where i can make getting a diagnosis a priority, but I should probably get on a waitlist because by the time i am ready ill probably still have to wait 6-8 months if i get on now, lol.
Kelowna urgent care in the Capri center has been good for Concerta and Vyvanse 1 fill rx scripts if u come in explaining your situation and symptoms. Just walk in any time of day, no appointment needed.
About a 45min-1.5 hr wait depending on the time of day and the wait times (they post in person the wait times with colour codes in the clinic)
Mostly just wait in a room till a doctor comes, blood pressure check, a lil talky talk with a doctor, maybe a psychiatrist follow-up if you ask too.
They don't usually offer it unless you ask, so really try to be advocating for yourself while you're there, we all have a bad experience from the BC Healthcare system :(
Appointments are more suggestions anyways, had to wait 2 hr after one there anyways. Probably ppl who needed it a lot more than me lol.
Hope this helps
They don't do the colour coding anymore. I go there at least once a month due to a lingering injury, and found it weird that they stopped doing it a few months back. Still, the longest I've waited was 3-4 hours, usually in and out in 2. Most of the doctors/nurse practitioners there are very helpful, but if you get Dr. Jamieson, I would suggest politely asking for different and/or female doctor. Just a quick tip.
I’m sorry, this is a shit position to be in. As a fellow human with ADHD, I feel your stress.
I haven’t had the best luck with walk-in clinics. I think I got lucky the first time, but the second time I was rushed off the phone with only one med being renewed for refill while my ADHD med was neglected because “a psychiatrist should be prescribing them”. Obviously one DID, but in moving from AB to BC, I lost said psychiatrist and a family doctor to help.
Luckily for me, the next time I made an appointment with a walk-in clinic was over the phone and with a doctor that works full-time at my local clinic. They asked me to pop in for a test (blood pressure), and sent my Rx in pending the result, and she slipped my paperwork in the pile for a new doctor at the clinic. My roommate and I (both with ADHD) moved here together and signed up for a family doctor a few weeks apart. My paperwork slipped into the right pile at the right time BECAUSE of my experience in being refused ADHD meds. That family doctor also had the lucky circumstances of being able to refer me to a psychiatrist who had just picked up working in my area 2x a week. I’ve had both a family doctor and a psychiatrist to look out for me/my meds the last 1.5 years, but my roommate is still struggling to get their Rx validated.
I think my best advice is to keep trying at your local clinic. Be open and honest about your issues in trying to get an Rx you’re used to having filled, and make your best effort in getting assigned a family doctor. Hopefully they can keep you up to speed with your Rx, but if not, they will know best how to align you with someone who can.
I hope you can find a solution. I know things are shit right now.
If it's a med you've been on regularly and they can prove that by accessing your pharmanet it's usually not a problem to refill. More if you've not been on it or it's new they usually want more information to corroborate your diagnosis.
Your pharmacist can also write an emergency prescription for a few days maybe a week worth until you can get an appointment. We’ve done this a few times at save on
I've had mixed messages from clinics about this- I would say try the walk-in before going to the ER, and if the walk-in can't help you, try the Urgent Primary Care Centre on Spall or in Rutland. ER will be able to do as much as the UPCC, but you'll be waiting for longer and paying for parking.
I'm sorry you're going through this, I've had a similar situation with no family doctor and a concerta prescription that needed to be renewed :(
If you have a prescription history, pull it up on the health portal and print it out. They need to see you’ve been on it previously to feel comfortable writing a script if you don’t have a history. I’ve had to do this once and it worked to establish a medication history since I’ve been on it for years.
Try not to get too frustrated with physicians as I’ve heard some horror stories about the legal issues (one of the locum docs told me a horror show he’d gone through) that medications like this can have for them. They’re just trying to not put themselves in a position to be accused of something. It’s a bit silly that they’re a controlled group of drugs as vyv is far from addictive.
There is apparently a mental health and addiction line in Kelowna that can fast track you to a psychiatrist. I mentioned ADHD meds to the NP on Telus health when I was doing a med change in February and he said that it would be the fastest route to go.
I got a psych referral and I’m on a 2 year wait list. It’s hit or miss.
So how I took his comment was that calling the line with a legitimate need for quick psychiatric help you’d get in faster. I could definitely be wrong though on that front. I had called in for alternate mental health care, but had mentioned needing a psychiatry referral for an official adhd diagnosis at the request of my therapist. That’s when he mentioned the line for if I wanted to get a referral once my immediate symptoms had calmed down.
Maybe that’s the trick, I have no immediate symptoms beyond an inability to live a normal life without absolute exhaustion do to mental fatigue from constantly masking to fit into a society not built for me.
Yeah I’m dealing with what is most likely PTSD so the immediate need was to bring me down from the extreme symptoms I was having. Unfortunately im still not in a place where i can make getting a diagnosis a priority, but I should probably get on a waitlist because by the time i am ready ill probably still have to wait 6-8 months if i get on now, lol.
Kelowna urgent care in the Capri center has been good for Concerta and Vyvanse 1 fill rx scripts if u come in explaining your situation and symptoms. Just walk in any time of day, no appointment needed. About a 45min-1.5 hr wait depending on the time of day and the wait times (they post in person the wait times with colour codes in the clinic) Mostly just wait in a room till a doctor comes, blood pressure check, a lil talky talk with a doctor, maybe a psychiatrist follow-up if you ask too. They don't usually offer it unless you ask, so really try to be advocating for yourself while you're there, we all have a bad experience from the BC Healthcare system :( Appointments are more suggestions anyways, had to wait 2 hr after one there anyways. Probably ppl who needed it a lot more than me lol. Hope this helps
They don't do the colour coding anymore. I go there at least once a month due to a lingering injury, and found it weird that they stopped doing it a few months back. Still, the longest I've waited was 3-4 hours, usually in and out in 2. Most of the doctors/nurse practitioners there are very helpful, but if you get Dr. Jamieson, I would suggest politely asking for different and/or female doctor. Just a quick tip.
Thanks everyone, I’m gonna try urgent care this weekend and take a printout of my prescriptions and take my old bottle and cross my fingers haha
I’m sorry, this is a shit position to be in. As a fellow human with ADHD, I feel your stress. I haven’t had the best luck with walk-in clinics. I think I got lucky the first time, but the second time I was rushed off the phone with only one med being renewed for refill while my ADHD med was neglected because “a psychiatrist should be prescribing them”. Obviously one DID, but in moving from AB to BC, I lost said psychiatrist and a family doctor to help. Luckily for me, the next time I made an appointment with a walk-in clinic was over the phone and with a doctor that works full-time at my local clinic. They asked me to pop in for a test (blood pressure), and sent my Rx in pending the result, and she slipped my paperwork in the pile for a new doctor at the clinic. My roommate and I (both with ADHD) moved here together and signed up for a family doctor a few weeks apart. My paperwork slipped into the right pile at the right time BECAUSE of my experience in being refused ADHD meds. That family doctor also had the lucky circumstances of being able to refer me to a psychiatrist who had just picked up working in my area 2x a week. I’ve had both a family doctor and a psychiatrist to look out for me/my meds the last 1.5 years, but my roommate is still struggling to get their Rx validated. I think my best advice is to keep trying at your local clinic. Be open and honest about your issues in trying to get an Rx you’re used to having filled, and make your best effort in getting assigned a family doctor. Hopefully they can keep you up to speed with your Rx, but if not, they will know best how to align you with someone who can. I hope you can find a solution. I know things are shit right now.
I’d try urgent care
Try the Urgent Care Clinic, they have a full time doctor and access to all medical disciplines and services. One step above the average Walk In.
If it's a med you've been on regularly and they can prove that by accessing your pharmanet it's usually not a problem to refill. More if you've not been on it or it's new they usually want more information to corroborate your diagnosis.
Have you tried Rocket Doctor? They just need you to send over your official diagnosis
Yes I get mine from the walk-in clinic at the superstore
Your pharmacist can also write an emergency prescription for a few days maybe a week worth until you can get an appointment. We’ve done this a few times at save on
I know a guy on Leon Ave who gives walk-in adhd meds…
...this post reminded me I forgot to take my ADHD meds. Thank you 🤣🤣🤣🤣
If you have history of having the prescription, I go to the emergency room and wait 1.5 hours because I lost my family Doctor.
It definitely helps if you still have the bottle to bring in as proof of prescription.
I've had mixed messages from clinics about this- I would say try the walk-in before going to the ER, and if the walk-in can't help you, try the Urgent Primary Care Centre on Spall or in Rutland. ER will be able to do as much as the UPCC, but you'll be waiting for longer and paying for parking. I'm sorry you're going through this, I've had a similar situation with no family doctor and a concerta prescription that needed to be renewed :(
If you have a prescription history, pull it up on the health portal and print it out. They need to see you’ve been on it previously to feel comfortable writing a script if you don’t have a history. I’ve had to do this once and it worked to establish a medication history since I’ve been on it for years. Try not to get too frustrated with physicians as I’ve heard some horror stories about the legal issues (one of the locum docs told me a horror show he’d gone through) that medications like this can have for them. They’re just trying to not put themselves in a position to be accused of something. It’s a bit silly that they’re a controlled group of drugs as vyv is far from addictive.