Effective date: September, 2026
Virtual care lets patients speak with a healthcare provider without visiting a clinic in person. Depending on the service, this may happen by video, telephone, secure messaging, an online questionnaire, or another remote method.
This page explains how virtual care available through Canadian Pharmacy Spot works, what its limits are, and what patients should understand before taking part in a virtual consultation.
About Virtual Care
Virtual care can be useful for many routine health concerns, follow-up appointments, medication discussions, and other situations where an in-person examination is not immediately required.
It does not replace in-person care in every case. The healthcare provider decides whether a virtual consultation gives them enough information to assess the patient safely.
A virtual consultation does not guarantee a diagnosis, prescription, or particular treatment.
Who Provides the Medical Care?
Canadian Pharmacy Spot provides the online platform through which virtual care may be accessed or coordinated. The healthcare provider who performs the consultation is responsible for the medical assessment and clinical decisions.
If medication is prescribed, prescribing and dispensing remain separate steps. The dispensing pharmacy and pharmacist independently decide whether the prescription can be lawfully and appropriately filled.
Limits of Virtual Care
A healthcare provider cannot perform every examination or test remotely. Virtual care may be limited when the provider needs to:
- physically examine part of the body;
- check vital signs or measurements that are not available remotely;
- perform laboratory or diagnostic testing;
- observe symptoms that cannot be assessed reliably by video, telephone, or messaging; or
- rule out a condition that requires direct examination.
If the provider does not have enough information to make a safe clinical decision, they may stop the virtual assessment and recommend in-person care.
When an In-Person Visit May Be Needed
An in-person examination may be required when symptoms are unclear, the condition is getting worse, testing is needed, or the provider believes a physical examination could change the diagnosis or treatment.
Depending on the situation, the patient may be directed to:
- a family doctor or primary care clinic;
- a walk-in or urgent care clinic;
- a laboratory or diagnostic facility;
- a specialist; or
- an emergency department.
The decision depends on the patient’s symptoms, medical history, available information, and the healthcare provider’s professional judgment.
Identity and Location Verification
Before or during a virtual consultation, the healthcare provider may need to verify who the patient is and where the patient is physically located.
You may be asked to provide information such as:
- your full name and date of birth;
- contact information;
- your current physical location;
- identification where appropriate; or
- other information needed to confirm your identity or eligibility for the service.
Your actual location matters because healthcare licensing, prescribing rules, and emergency procedures may depend on where you are during the consultation.
A consultation may not proceed if identity or location cannot be adequately confirmed.
Healthcare Provider Identification
The healthcare provider responsible for the consultation should identify themselves as required by the professional rules that apply to their practice.
For virtual care involving a patient located in Alberta, this may include the provider’s name, location, and professional licensure information.
Consent to Virtual Care
Before virtual care proceeds, you should understand how the consultation will take place, its limitations, relevant privacy considerations, and whether another form of care may be more appropriate.
The healthcare provider is responsible for obtaining informed consent where required.
Submitting a request through Canadian Pharmacy Spot does not by itself replace the consent process between you and the healthcare provider.
You may decline virtual care. A healthcare provider may also decide not to continue remotely if virtual care is not suitable for your situation.
Privacy During a Virtual Consultation
Virtual care may involve sensitive medical and personal information. Healthcare providers and other organizations responsible for that information must use appropriate safeguards under the privacy and health-information rules that apply to them.
Electronic communication can still involve risks. These may include:
- someone else seeing or hearing a consultation;
- use of a shared device;
- messages being sent to the wrong address or number;
- network or device security problems; or
- interruption of a video, telephone, or messaging service.
Patients should use a private location and a device they consider appropriate when discussing personal health information.
Agreeing to virtual care does not remove the privacy and confidentiality obligations of the healthcare provider or other organization responsible for patient information.
More information about how personal information is handled is available in our Privacy Policy.
Technology Problems
Virtual care depends on working devices, communication systems, and internet or telephone connections.
If the technology fails, the healthcare provider may:
- attempt to reconnect;
- switch to another suitable communication method;
- reschedule the consultation; or
- recommend another form of care.
If a technical problem prevents a safe assessment, the consultation should not be completed using incomplete or unreliable information.
Medical Records
A virtual consultation is still a healthcare encounter. The healthcare provider or other responsible health-information custodian should create and maintain a medical record as required by applicable professional and legal standards.
The record may include the information you provide, the provider’s assessment, prescriptions, referrals, test requests, treatment decisions, and follow-up instructions.
Rules for access, retention, correction, and disclosure of the medical record depend on the provider and jurisdiction responsible for that record.
Prescriptions and Pharmacy Services
A virtual consultation does not guarantee that medication will be prescribed.
The healthcare provider decides whether medication is medically appropriate. If a prescription is issued, the dispensing pharmacy performs its own review before supplying the medication.
A pharmacist may need to:
- verify the prescription;
- confirm patient information;
- contact the prescriber;
- ask additional questions; or
- decline or delay dispensing where required for legal, professional, or patient-safety reasons.
Follow-Up Care
Some conditions require follow-up after the initial virtual consultation.
Follow-up may include:
- another virtual appointment;
- an in-person examination;
- laboratory or diagnostic testing;
- a referral to another healthcare professional; or
- monitoring how the patient responds to treatment.
Patients should follow the instructions they receive and seek further medical care if symptoms become worse, new symptoms appear, or treatment is not working as expected.
Emergency Situations
Virtual care available through Canadian Pharmacy Spot is not an emergency medical service.
Do not rely on an online consultation when you need immediate medical attention. Contact the emergency service available in your location or go to the nearest emergency department if you have severe, rapidly worsening, or potentially life-threatening symptoms.
If an urgent problem becomes apparent during a virtual consultation, the healthcare provider may stop the remote assessment and direct the patient to immediate in-person care.
Patients Outside Alberta or Canada
The availability of virtual care depends on where the patient is physically located at the time of the consultation.
A healthcare provider must be permitted to provide care in the jurisdiction that applies to the patient. Being able to open the Canadian Pharmacy Spot website from another province, state, or country does not mean that medical services are available there.
A consultation may be restricted, declined, or redirected if the provider cannot lawfully provide virtual care to the patient’s current location.
If you travel or change location, provide your actual physical location when requesting or receiving virtual care.