Before Christmas, we dropped in to visit Avish Shah, the owner and pharmacist at Whole Health Pharmacy, to see how his first year in Stittsville has been. He said, “all is going great and he is so happy to have opened here in Stittsville.” He was quick to fill us in on another unique service he has recently brought to Stittsville.
If you do or do not have a family doctor and require medical treatment, the Whole Health Pharmacy on Stittsville Main Street is now the site of a Virtual Walk-in Clinic. After opening in December 2018, Avish soon realized there is a shortfall of doctors in Stittsville and worked proficiently to coordinate bringing this new innovative service to his pharmacy. Avish did say, “ideally they should contact their doctors office for an appointment even as a walk in on the day they require to be examined. If the appointment is not available for the day they wish to see a doctor they can certainly use the virtual doctor service. Anyone with an Ontario health card can use it but the family doctor should be their first option.”
Avish explained, “the virtual clinic allows a patient to speak directly with a doctor on-line in a private setting.” Avish has set-up an office within his pharmacy that “provides privacy as you consult with a doctor through an i-pad.” You connect via text, audio or video with a family physician saving you travel and wait times in an emergency setting. The service also provides better support for those living with chronic diseases such as diabetes or blood pressure.
Avish added, “The clinic provides testing for Strep Throat, Urinary Tract Infections, Blood Pressure checks – to name a few. You can also renew your prescriptions.” You receive primary health care or mental health care using a modern communications method.
Vital to those using the Virtual Walk-in Clinic — the cost of the visit is covered by OHIP.
From Monday to Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm, you can use the service to connect with a doctor. You can set-up a designated appointment time for convenience as well. Contact Avish at 613-831-2180 or visit the website at https://stittsvillewhp.com.
We were excited to see Avish open his pharmacy on Stittsville Main a year ago — https://stittsvillecentral.ca/new-pharmacy-opens-on-stittsville-main/. We are now pleased to hear that more and more residents have discovered Avish and his friendly, personal service — those only a small business can provide.