As family physicians practicing in Montreal, we feel that the current health care situation and lack of access to services in Quebec is appalling. In order for there to be change, we feel that the public needs to be fully informed as to the barriers that we as physicians face in order to practice in Quebec.
The Quebec government requires all family physicians to attain a special license called a PREM that permits practice within a specific region in Quebec. Since 2003, the government has actually been restricting the number of family physicians who are permitted to attain these licenses, thus limiting the number of physicians allowed to practice. What this has done is force many new family medicine graduates to move out of Quebec in order to practice.
The second barrier is the Quebec government regulation concerning special medical activities called 'AMPS'. In essence, the government has decided that only certain activities carried out by family physicians are priorities in Quebec and that each family physician must fulfill 12 hours per week of these designated activities. Examples of such activities are: emergency medicine, obstetrics, and work in an underserved region of Quebec. Nowhere on this list is primary care of patients in an office based setting. The bottom line is that if you are a relatively healthy person, between the ages of 0-70, the government does not feel that you are a priority requiring regular medical follow up. What these restrictions do is force the family physician to take on activities other then practicing primary care which therefore limits your access to these doctors.
The bottom line is that is that our government is restricting family doctors from working here once they graduate by only offering a small number of PREMS and for those who do work here, they are encouraging us to work in ERs or in northern regions, but do not recognize the value of being a primary family doctor.
Without some form of public outcry, there will be no change. Please help by writing, calling or emailing the governing bodies listed below to express to them how intolerable this situation has become.
By clicking the following link, you can send an email complaint to the individuals responsible for these rules.
Click here to send an email complaintClicking this link will send the following prewritten email to the people listed below. Before sending, feel free to add your own comments or experiences. (If the link does not work for you<, just copy the email below, paste it into your email client, and send it to mark.roper@mcgill.ca, lgodin@fmoq.org, and ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca).
To Whom It May Concern:
As a resident of Quebec, I find the current lack of access to primary care unacceptable. Without family physicians, we are required to wait long hours in overcrowded emergency rooms and walk in clinics for concerns that could be dealt with by a primary MD. This not only exposes us to multiple illnesses but also requires us to take off extra time from work and further tax the health care system.
Given the dire lack of family physicians in Quebec, the use of the PREM to limit the number of new residents who can practice here is intolerable and must be stopped. Any new family doctor who wishes to practice should be permitted to do so without this restriction.
As well, family physicians should be recognized for the invaluable service they perform in providing patients with primary care and preventative medicine. The fact that this is not recognized as a priority in Quebec is appalling. The AMP requirement essentially indicates to me, a resident in Quebec, that my well being is not of equal concern to the government. By not recognizing office based family medicine as being a priority and by forcing the family doctors to fulfill other activities for 12 hours/week takes detracts from their ability to provide patients with the best possible care. This needs to be ended.
This situation is deplorable and needs to be addressed immediately. Both the PREM and AMP requirements must be removed and family physicians allowed to return to the primary care of their patients.
Sincerely,
Name:
Address:
Email:
Dr. Mark Roper, Chief of the DRMG-Agency for Health and social services
3725 Saint-Denis Street
Montreal, Quebec, H2X 3L9
514-286-6500
mark.roper@mcgill.ca
Dr Louis Godin, President of the FMOQ
1440, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, bureau 1000
Montreal (Quebec), H3G 1R8
lgodin@fmoq.org
Dr. Yves Bolduc, Minister of Health, Quebec
2050, rue De Bleury, RC 10
Montreal
H3A 2J5
514-873-3700
ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca