Pain Management Program - How To Access
A referral from your family doctor or a specialist is required to become a patient of St. Joseph’s Pain Management Program. Included in our screening criteria are:
- The patient must have a family doctor willing to follow him/her after discharge from the pain program
- We do not address chronic daily headaches and known fibromyalgia
- Our program provides specialized care for individuals 18 years of age and older
Referrals are triaged by a pain specialist. If our program fits your needs, you will receive an appointment to see one of the pain specialists within our program.
Please note: Due to the high number of referrals, there may be a wait period of up to eight months for non-urgent cases.
For Physicians
All referrals must be on our form as this makes it easier for the triage nurse to recognize if information is missing. The form is available below.
Diagnostic tests to be completed prior to acceptance of the referral:
- All patients over 60 years old, OR with a history of significant malignancy OR with a history of radicular pain (pain radiating down one limb) must have a CT or MRI of the appropriate area within 18 months of the appointment.
Please attach:
- Complete medication list, including Coumadin, Plavix, ASA, opioids.
- All pertinent imaging (CT, MRI, Bone Scan).
- All related consults from other physicians including surgical reports.
Once all information is received, the triage nurse assigns a priority to the referral. After the triage assignment, the receptionist books an appointment and faxes notification to the referring doctor. The patient and the referring physician will hear back about the status of the referral and the estimated wait time within 2 weeks, as per the CPSO guidelines.