The story of why Doctors On Site exists is a familiar one. Patients in Ontario have lost access to family doctors faster than the system has been able to replace them. We built DOS to bridge that gap with same-day, physician-led care that doesn’t require an emergency department visit.
The numbers behind Ontario’s primary care crisis are now well-documented. Roughly 2.5 million Ontarians don’t have a family doctor. Wait times for new patient enrollment in some regions exceed 18 months. Walk-in clinics have been closing or limiting hours. The default fallback for many patients has become the emergency department, where minor issues sit alongside genuine emergencies.
This isn’t sustainable for patients or for the system.
What we built
Doctors On Site is a hybrid healthcare network designed to handle the everyday medical needs that don’t require an emergency room. Our model combines:
- Walk-in visits at locations across Ontario — embedded in pharmacy associate sites for accessibility
- Same-day virtual visits — for issues that don’t need physical exam
- A roster of specialists — endocrinology, nephrology, dermatology, internal medicine — accessible by referral
- Continuity of care — your records follow you across our network
- OHIP-covered visits — for clinically appropriate care, the visit is no different in cost than your former family doctor
We’re not trying to replace family physicians. We’re trying to make sure that someone whose family doctor retired or moved doesn’t fall off the cliff into emergency departments and pharmacy advice.
How it actually works
If you need a visit, the workflow is straightforward:
- Find your nearest DOS location or book a virtual visit on our site
- Arrive (or log in) at your appointment time
- See a physician for assessment, treatment, prescriptions, lab orders, imaging, or referrals as needed
- Your records are kept in our system and accessible to other DOS clinicians on your future visits
For ongoing care of chronic conditions — diabetes, hypertension, mental health, weight management — we offer dedicated programs that bring continuity beyond a single walk-in visit.
What we’re not
We’ve been deliberate about scope. DOS is not:
- An emergency department alternative for genuine emergencies — chest pain, stroke symptoms, major trauma all still belong in ER
- A replacement for established family physician relationships when those exist
- A one-stop shop for every specialty — we focus on what we can do well
- A subscription or concierge service — we’re an OHIP-billing primary and specialist care network
Where we are
DOS operates from over 300 locations across Ontario, embedded primarily in Rexall and Metro pharmacy locations. The locations were chosen for accessibility — most Ontarians live within 15 minutes of one. Coverage continues to expand.
For specialist care, we operate hub clinics in major metropolitan areas with virtual access for patients further afield.
The clinical principles
A few things we’ve committed to:
- Physician-led. Our walk-in visits are with physicians, not exclusively with NPs or PAs (both of whom are valuable, but the model isn’t designed around substitution)
- Evidence-based. Treatment recommendations follow current Canadian guidelines
- Time enough to think. We’ve structured visit scheduling to allow real conversation, not the 5-minute compression that’s failed elsewhere
- Reasonable scope. When something is outside primary care, we refer rather than dabble
What’s next
We’re continuing to expand locations, deepen our specialist network, and improve the patient experience around appointment booking and continuity. The Resources section of this site (where you’re reading this) is part of that — high-quality health information from clinicians, not from algorithm-driven content farms.
If you’re new to DOS and want to know how we can help, the easiest entry point is to find a location near you or book a virtual visit. From there, the system takes over.
We’re glad you’re here.
