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ALL IN-OFFICE APPOINTMENTS MUST REVIEW THE COVID-19 APPOINTMENT CHECKLIST
MASKS ARE NO LONGER MANDATORY, BUT RECOMMENDED
*CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT*
Please note this website may not work well with Internet Explorer or other older web browsers.
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CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT
You may confirm your appointment by clicking on the following link:
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Please include patient name, date/time of your appointment, and select whether you are confirming or cancelling.
If you are cancelling and wish to rebook, please contact the office to set up a new appointment.
Please include your email address, which will be put on your file for appointment reminders. We will copy and paste into your chart, so do ensure that it is correct.
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INFORMATION ON COVID VACCINE EXEMPTION AND DEFERRALS
The goal of your appointment with an allergist will be to help facilitate safe vaccination.
Currently in British Columbia there are no vaccine exemptions, only deferrals. Individual physicians and nurses are not permitted to grant deferrals. Deferrals are granted by the Ministry of Health/Public Health by a committee.
Be aware that issues surrounding COVID 19 are changing rapidly and current evidence about allergies and vaccinations may change in the future.
Please refer to the following if you wish to read more about COVID-19 vaccinations and allergy.
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APPOINTMENT CHECKLIST
If you have an in-office appointment with us, please read through and complete checklist.
- Within 24 hours of appointment, self-screen with the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool
https://bc.thrive.health./covid19/en- Rebook your appointment or switch your appointment to telephone if:
* Your screen is positive.
* It has been less than 10 days since onset of symptoms if you have contracted COVID.
- Once you have completed the history form, option to transfer it electronically to our office (encrypted file transfer).
SECURE UPLOAD 
Once you have clicked the link, click blue UPLOAD FILES box on the right-hand side of the page and follow screen instructions.
Upload is complete once the check mark appears next to your filename.
If you have trouble filling and transferring the form electronically, you may do so in office, but be aware that this is an additional contact point. Pens and clipboard are sanitize between patients.
No antihistamines for 5 days prior to any allergy testing.
- Only the patient being seen (with one guardian, if applicable) will be allowed in the office.
Thank you for your cooperation to ensure your safety and safety of other patients (which may include people with lung disease and low immune systems) and office staff.
HOW TO FIND US
Lansdowne Professional Centre located on the southwest corner of the Shelbourne Street and Hillside Avenue intersection, across the street from Hillside Shopping Centre; there are three gas stations at the other three corners of the intersection.
There is a Pharmasave located on the main floor of the centre.
We are on in the Landsdowne Professional
Centre II building on the third floor in suite 315.
On Shelbourne Street, facing the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Shelbourne Street.
The entrance of the underground pay parkade is on the opposite side from the parked vehicles.
**Please note that the Landsdowne Professional Centre is two separate buildings (Landsdowne Professional Centre and Lansdowne Professional Centre II) that are joined together. Each building has an elevator and is accessible to each other via a passageway connecting both buildings with the address of the buildings at the top of the doorways.
Our office is located right outside the elevator on the third floor of the 3066 side of the building in the southwest corner.
PARKING
We recommend you use the underground parkade. It is $2 for two hours. Parking on ground level in front of the Pharmasave at 1641 Hillside is 30 minutes only and is patrolled.
Please note, we cannot be responsible for parking tickets due to failure to obtain pay parking, nor are we responsible for any parking violations arising from use of the parking lot at the adjacent shopping centre.
HISTORY FORM & FILE TRANSFERS
The link below will open up our PDF history form.
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You may UPLOAD your history form through our secure encrypted file transfer link before your appointment.
Please use the above link to upload any photos that you are asked to send. If you send photos, please make sure that your photo filename have your name so that we can identify you from other patients.
PLEASE WAIT A FEW SECONDS AND YOU SHOULD SEE THE SPINNING ARROWS NEXT TO YOUR FILENAME AS IT IS BEING UPLOADED. ONCE THE SPINNING ARROWS TURN INTO A CHECK MARK, YOUR UPLOAD HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IS BEING SENT TO OUR OFFICE.
Need more help? For detailed uploading instructions, please see our link below.
TREATMENT SCHEDULE AND ONLINE IMMUNOTHERAPY BOOKING
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We have decided to carry on with booking appointments for immunotherapy due to the increasing number of patients on the treatment.
We will not be returning to drop-in times.
You may call the office to book an appointment, or we now have limited spots available for online booking through the link below.
BOOK IMMUNOTHERAPY APPT ONLINE
Please note that this link is for IMMUNOTHERAPY ONLY. All other appointments, whether in-office or by phone, must be booked with the office staff directly in order to ensure the correct amount of allotted time on Dr. Lee's schedule.
Please do not book more than THREE immunotherapy APPOINTMENTS AT A TIME online due to the limited openings available. Patients who book more than three appointments ahead may have the extra appointments cancelled in order to give everyone a chance at the spots and will be asked to contact the office to book future appointments.
Office staff have the ability to book appointments that otherwise may not appear as openings on the schedule as we tend to book IT patients in small groupings throughout the day. We recommend booking your next injections at your appointment.
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General Treatment Hours for
ALL TYPES of Immunotherapies:
We generally book immunotherapy treatments onsite between:
Due to the social distancing required, our schedule may not always be as flexible to ensure we do not have too many patients in the office at a given time.
Please be seated in the waiting room for
30 minutes after
EACH injection(s)
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Please note Dr. Lee will not be accepting allergy shot patients on the following dates:
HOURS OF OPERATION
Hours of operation generally are Monday to Friday with closure on all statutory holidays.
The office is open for scheduled appointments during the hours listed below.
Monday 9:00 - 4:00
Tuesday 9:00 - 3:00
Wednesday 8:30 - 4:00
Thursday 8:30 - 4:00
Friday 8:30 - 4:00
For immunotherapy hours, please see TREATMENT SCHEDULE.
Telephones are answered between 9:00 to 12:00 and again from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. If you get our answering machine, please do leave a message and we will return your call. Please note that due to high volumes of calls at times, messages left may not be returned on the same day.
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Office Closures
REFERRALS/WAIT TIMES
A referral letter is mandatory and should be sent from the referring office directly to our office. An appointment will not be booked without a referral.
We are not set up for e-referrals and accept referrals by fax only.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WAIT TIME FOR A ROUTINE APPOINTMENT IS APPROXIMATELY 11-12 MONTHS.
Specialized procedures may have longer wait times.
Wait times are subject to change.
Once your appointment has been arranged, you will be contacted approximately a month prior to your appointment date. An appointment may be left on voicemail or via email, so please ensure that the contact information that will be provided from your referring doctor is up to date.
Appointments must be confirmed or they may be cancelled.
We have had some reports of the appointment confirmation emails going into people's SPAM folder.
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If you have not seen us for 6 months or more, you will need a new referral, in accordance with Medical Service Plan guidelines.
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If existing patients have been recommended to have a reassessment in one year or more, you will need to obtain a new referral in order to have another appointment arranged. We usually make this request in the last consult letter to the referring doctor, but following up with the referring doctor may be necessary.
NEW PATIENTS
Most patients will be asked to avoid antihistamines 5 days prior to their appointment if it is anticipated that they will be having skin scratch testing.
See additional instructions depending on the type of appointment you have been scheduled for (eg. patch testing, penicillin testing).
If you are a new patient, please arrive 10 minutes early for your appointment to fill out a history form.
Please have the following information with you on the day of your visit:
- Health Care Card (BC, Out Of Province)
- Military Number (if your referral came from one of the base clinics)
- Quebec residents, please contact the office directly for health coverage information.
- Most up-to-date medication list, including regular supplements.
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Alternatively, you may download, print and fill out the history form below and bring the completed form to your visit or upload to us via secure file upload link.
Please use dark ink when filling out the history form so that our scanner will be able to read it.
RETURNING PATIENTS
If you have been to see Dr. Lee before, please ensure that your contact information, family doctor etc. is up to date at the front desk.
AUTOMATED REMINDER CALLS
We are aware the wait time for all appointments.
While we are pleased to offer a reminder call/email service for your upcoming scheduled appointments, please be aware that reliability is not 100% as all calls are computer generated and are vulnerable to technical issues.
Patients will get two opportunities for automated reminders. Our system will generate a voice call and email five days before your appointment and email/SMS three days before your appointment as we require 48 hours for cancellation/rebooking. You may be reminded more than once depending on what information is registered with us. If you do not have email or a cell phone number, then you will just receive one telephone call.
If you confirm or cancel on the first day, the system should avoid calling the second time.
Patients are ultimately responsible for remembering their own appointments.
Here are some friendly tips that may help you:
Be sure the primary contact number with us is up to date (the system will only call the primary number)
Be sure to check your voice mail frequently, if you are not available to answer the call, the system will leave a message if your voice mail box is available at the time.
If a patient picks up a call, they should be saying “Hello” just like anybody normally would; that triggers the voice detection software to play the message. If a patient just picks up their phone call and does not say anything, it may not trigger the message to play and there would only be silence.
SKIN SCRATCH TESTING
To make the most of your visit and having to rebook your skin scratch testing, please do not take any antihistamines such as Reactine, Allegra, Claritin, Aerius, Atarax or Chlortripolon 5 days prior to the appointment. If an antihistamine in required, you can use Benadryl only (diphenhydramine) up to 24 hours prior to your appointment.
Medications with antihistaminic properties such as tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline, nortriptyline, etc., should also be discontinued prior to the test. (Please always check with your prescribing physician before discontinuing any medications). **We are unable to provide a large list of medication that contain antihistaminic properties; please contact your prescribing physician or speak to a pharmacist for advice.
All other medications including pseudoephedrine, prednisone, asthma treatments, nasal sprays, topical cream or eye drops, or regular allergy injections may be continued.
We can do most common food (nuts, dairy, wheat, seafood etc) and aeroallergen (grass and tree pollens, mold) testing with extracts that we have in the office.
Feel free to bring to your appointment any other food items you suspect may be causing you an allergic reaction such as fruit, vegetables, spices, alcohol, processed foods.
PATCH TESTING
The link below lists all the substances that will be included in your patch test.
North American 80 Comprehensive Series Patient must attend all three scheduled appointments (Friday, Monday and Tuesday).
You will get 8 patches placed on your upper back on your Friday appointment. Patches will need to be applied to clean, dry skin, so a shower before you attend this appointment is recommended. Avoid applying lotions to the area.
For men who may have excessive hair, this can cause the patches to not adhere properly, so shaved skin is recommended for best results. As irritation may occur from shaving and may make the result difficult to read, we recommend shaving a week prior to scheduled appointment.
The patches should stay in contact with your skin all the time until the doctor has taken them off at your follow-up visit.
Patches must stay dry while they are in contact with your skin; you must refrain from taking showers and baths while the patches are on; only sponge bath is recommended.
Avoid excessive sweating
The use of antihistamines will not affect patch testing and can be used to relieve any possible itching. However, if you have recently been put on oral or injectable steroid, please inform our office prior to your testing date as it may affect the accuracy of the test.
Be mindful when you change your clothes while the patches are on; loose tops are generally recommended. Dyes in some of the patches may stain clothing.
Patches will be removed on the following Monday. Final results will be read approximately 24 hours later on Tuesday after any irritation from adhesive has calmed, and information on any positive results will be provided to patient.
If you have arranged to send in photos, please note that we need 8 photos, one of each patch.
A positive patch test is a red or pink, itchy, often raised area at the site where a substance was applied. This usually disappears after a few days. A strongly positive patch test can sometimes cause a local blister. Example photos will be shown at your appointment.
PENICILLIN TESTING
**Please note there is a $30 charge for the Pre-Pen supply that will be used for the skin test (see PAYMENTS below).
There will be an initial scratch test consisting of 2 scratches. If this result should be positive, the test is over with a positive test for penicillin allergy.
If your scratch test is negative, it is safe to proceed to the challenge portion of the test. During this part of the test, doses of penicillin in the form of amoxicillin will be given orally in the office and patient will be monitored until a cumulative dose is reached. Most patients and discharged around 11:30 am.
As there is an initial scratch test, no antihistamines for 5 days prior to the appointment (see SKIN SCRATCH TEST INSTRUCTIONS)
FOR PRENATAL PATIENTS:
Penicillin scratch testing is scheduled according to availability of penicillin and due dates of patient. We try to schedule patients at least a month or longer before due date for the skin test. In many cases, the challenge portion of the test my be done on a separate date closer to 37 weeks' gestation to coincide with completion of group B strep testing.
PAYMENTS
NO debit card or credit card payment accepted
Cash is acceptable but it has to be the
exact amount, as we DO NOT carry any change in the office.Cheque and money order are also acceptable.
Payment has to be made at the beginning of the appointment on scheduled date for the test; a receipt will be provided.
There is a $20 charge for no-show or if a
48-hour notice was not received for all cancellation and rebooking.
ORAL CHALLENGE TESTING
Patients may be asked to come in for a challenge appointment. This may be to a food or a drug. The duration of these tests is usually about 2 to 2-1/2 hours and once the testing has commence patients will have to remain in the office.
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FOOD CHALLENGE
For food allergies, patients will be asked to bring in a particular food item. The patient will be asked to consume small amounts of the food throughout the morning until a reasonable amount has been eaten. Patient will be monitored regularly in the office.
DRUG CHALLENGE
For drug allergy testing, patients may be given a prescription on the morning of their test and sent the pharmacy to have it filled. They will then take doses of the drug in the office. Patients will be monitored regularly in the office until a cumulative dose is reached.
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These appointments are always booked in the morning at 9:00 a.m. on select dates with most patients being discharged by 11-11:30 a.m.
As we can only see one challenge patient per day, these spots do fill up quickly. Rebooking a challenge appointment can result in significant delay and may require a re-referral.
PULMONARY FUNCTION TESTING
ROYAL JUBILEE HOSPITAL
Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT) - 60 minutes
Spirometry - 30 minutes
Methacholine Challenge Test (MCT) - 60 minutes
For maps of the hospital and parking, please see below.
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OTHER ISLAND LOCATIONS FOR PULMONARY FUNCTION TEST
Cowichan District Hospital - PFT instructions
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - PFT instructions
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital - Methacholine Challenge Test instructions
YEAR-ROUND
SUBCUTANEOUS IMMUNOTHERAPY (ALLERGY SHOTS)
If you are prescribed year-sound allergy shots, here are some management tips to help you with your treatment.
When to order more serum:
How to order more serum:
- Lot or Rx number on the box or vial (6-digits)
- Vial number needed
- Which pharmacy to fax the prescription to
Annual Reassesssments:
All patients on year-round immunotherapy should be reassessed on an annual basis. As referral status expires after 6 months, all patients need to come back with a new referral every year. We usually request this on your consult letter, but do follow up with your doctor for a referral if a year has lapsed.
We cannot authorize any prescriptions if the patient has not been seen over a year or longer.
PRE-SEASONAL IMMUNOTHERAPY
Patients who are on preseasonal allergy shots will be prescribed serum before the start of the allergy season. This is a series of approximately 12 injections given before the onset of the pollen season. Injections should be completed in the early spring in order to be effective for the upcoming pollen season.
If a patient wishes to do preseasonal immunotherapy the following year, they should be re-referred in the late fall/winter so we can arrange the next season's serum in time. We usually make this request in the consult letter to the referring doctor, but patient's should follow up with their doctor to ensure timely re-referral.
Patients on any form of immunotherapy, should be reassessed every year during the treatment.
GRASS-TABLET ORAL THERAPY
Grass tablet therapy should be started early in the year in order to be effective for the onset of the grass pollen season.
Patients will be given the first tablet in the office to ensure that it is well tolerated and are asked to wait 30 minutes in the office afterwards. Patients may experience some itching in the oral cavity that should dissipate within the 30-minute time frame.
Patients wanting to return for another year of grass tablet therapy should be re-referred late fall/winter in order to ensure early booking in the year following to start therapy for the next season.
We make this request in the consult letter to the referring doctor, but patients should follow up with their doctor to ensure timely re-referral.
Patients on any form of immunotherapy, should be reassessed every year during the treatment.
BIRCH TABLET ORAL IMMUNOTHERAPY
The birch tablet immunotherapy is started later inthe year around October/November.
Patients will be given the first tablet in the office to ensure that it is well tolerated and are asked to wait 30 minutes in the office afterwards. Patients may experience some itching in the oral cavity that should dissipate within the 30-minute time frame.
Patients wanting to return for another year of birth tablet therapy should be re-referred late/spring or summer in order to ensure booking for the fall to start therapy for the next season.
We make this request in the consult letter to the referring doctor, but patients should follow up with their doctor to ensure timely re-referral.
This treatment is done for 3 consecutive seasons.
Patients on any form of immunotherapy, should be reassessed every year during the treatment.
DUST MITE TABLET ORAL IMMUNOTHERAPY
The oral tablet immunothearpy can be started any time, and the first test dose is done in the office.
Patients will be on the therapy consistently for about 3 years, and should be re-referred for annual reassessement.
Patients on any form of immunotherapy, should be reassessed every year during the treatment.
TEACHING
We are grateful for the opportunities to assist health care professional trainees work under our guidance.
Patients may be seen by medical trainees such as medical students, residents or fellows.
MOA STUDENTS
From time to time we will be providing opportunities for practicum placements for students who are graduating from the Camosun College Medical Office Assistant Program.
We thank you for your patience while we help to train these students for the duration of their practicum experience.