EXCLUSIVE： The potential fraud in Canadian dial-a-doctor services
Episode Stats
Summary
As Canadians struggle to access primary health care, many are turning to online dial-a-doctors to fill the gap. But this quick and convenient alternative may spark potential abuse. In an investigation conducted by the Western Standard over the past couple of weeks, you were able to go online, look up online doctors, and book an appointment within hours.
Transcript
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As Canadians struggle to access primary health care, many are turning to online
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dial-a-doctors to fill the gap. But this quick and convenient alternative may
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spark potential abuse. In an investigation conducted by the Western
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Standard over the past couple of weeks, you were able to go online, look up
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online Doctors Alberta and book an appointment within hours.
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hello hi yes that's him I'm speaking oh yeah I've been waiting for your call okay
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how can I help I just I've been really stressed out recently like I've been
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having trouble sleeping and I just need like like a couple weeks off from work
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like two three weeks like I'm just really yeah so you know so in terms of
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sick note i can write you for two weeks okay um and yeah it's not covered by our better health
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or the government so it's seen as a private payment so there will be in charge for that from
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you okay how much how much would it be roughly it's 55 55 okay yeah that's fine
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as you from that last clip i was able to get two weeks off from work just by saying i was stressed
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had a bit of headache and wasn't sleeping all that great i booked another appointment with
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another online health clinic here's how it went I've been stressed out from work
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and yeah work-related and as a result I've been I've not really been sleeping
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like well at all like I've tried melatonin yes that's it yeah I've been
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sleeping pills but are you interested in having those okay so there's a fee for
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the doctor's note okay of course yeah if it's one week we can give it for $35
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sure if it's two weeks it's 60 if it's one month it's 90 I think two weeks
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would probably be optimal so it's $60 for two weeks and then I will send your
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prescription to the pharmacy as well okay that'll be very good as you heard
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in that last clip I was offered I did not ask I was given Zopoclon a highly
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addictive sleeping pill from one of these online physicians.
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I discussed the potential harm this might have with the University of Calgary's Dr.
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So like the way this kind of works is that if, for example, they were prescribing
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azopliclone, which can be potentially addictive, that could be problematic.
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If they're prescribing opioids or benzodiazepines, that could be potentially
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Now, the deal is also is that I'm sure there's regulations around this, or
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there's maybe not regulations, but standards with them in terms of internal things that they're
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willing to do and not willing to do. I think it also comes down to physician comfort. Some
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physicians will be more comfortable prescribing things over the phone than others. But there
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could be a potential case or situation in which this could be misused as a system. So if someone
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is substance seeking, if they're seeking for, if they're looking for benzodiazepines or opioids,
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prescription opioids, prescription pain meds. They could maybe potentially use these services
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to access those types of meds without having a proper evaluation, proper history and physical
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examination, and without having proper access to medical records, which is crucial to determining
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what sometimes a person needs or may not need. Speaking to the billing, going through the
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process, it seems like a lot of these places are stressing e-transfer rather than any sort of
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formal credit card and do you think that there's again speaking on the sort of accessibility of it
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it's it's good for people who need those sort of medications who need them fast and that's
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obviously something that is a necessary thing but does it not open the door for these kind of like
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e-transfers uh it's not as traceable like it is but it's it's the virtual equivalent of cash in
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hand is there not a risk for kind of paying for more like if oh like even when i was doing it
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like they offered as for a sick note. And they said for two weeks, it's $60 for three weeks,
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it's 100. So it's kind of like pay, pay to get. So do you think that there's kind of a risk for
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that as well? Again, like just speaking to the general pay to play sort of way it's working?
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That is definitely a concern. I mean, I would say if someone needs a sick note to get it from work,
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they should probably have a proper assessment done. And typically a physician could actually
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see them do a physical exam on them, or another clinician such as a nurse practitioner. So this
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is very concerning uh the pay to play so that means you basically pay for your own sick note if
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you need to take a leave or if you want to go on vacation uh for some people 20 bucks to pay for
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one of those notes is not that big of a deal uh so that is highly concerning i think that's misuse
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of the system and misuse of of our resources and that definitely needs to be flagged at the
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culmination of this investigation i hope you've realized just how much of a gray area this
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burgeoning industry is there is a place for it of course canadians are struggling to access
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healthcare these days and need alternatives. But how little regulation and the ease at which I was
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able to obtain sick notes and prescription drugs is really concerning. I've reached out to the
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Alberta Medical Association and I followed up and I've heard nothing back. I hope that this
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investigation prompts change from these kind of authorities. For Western Standard, I'm Jackson Loy.