Yes, nurse practitioners are trained and authorized to prescribe medications, much like a medical doctor.
- People who see Nurse Practitioners for their health care often have fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays and lower medication costs.
- Nurse Practitioners have been shown to provide safe, comprehensive, and cost-effective health care services equal to family physicians.
- Nurse Practitioners place a significant focus on teaching patients about their health conditions and treatment recommendations. They can often spend more time with patients than other providers.
- Nurse Practitioners listen to patients and strive to understand how their health problems are affecting each aspect of their life.
- Patients of Nurse Practitioners report very high satisfaction with the care they receive.
- Nurse Practitioners can improve access to health care.
While there is certainly overlap in the services offered by nurse practitioners and family doctors, The Longevity Lab is not a replacement for primary care. Our aim is to provide essential health services in collaboration with your primary care provider, and reduce the overall burden on our healthcare system.
Currently, in Alberta, Nurse Practitioners are not able to bill Alberta Health the same way Family Physicians can. Therefore, Nurse Practitioners charge an hourly rate. Often, these essential health services are covered by personal and/or employee health plans or health spending accounts. Checking your plan for “Registered Nursing Services” as they may provide you with the necessary information to see if your assessment will be covered.
We have an established physician referral process developed with our Nurse Practitioner assessment. If it appears that there are ongoing medical concerns that require workup and management, our Nurse Practitioner will refer you to a physician in the clinic to provide that ongoingAlberta Health-covered care.
