Before your visit

Click on your appointment type below for appointment specific information

In Office Appointment (First Appointment)

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Speak with the Doctor about your concerns
  • For Dr. Barlas (Allergist) – Undergo testing (such as skin prick testing) if indicated
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, and who have not done so previously, ensure your intake form is submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment (please visit the Forms tab to access the intake form)
  • No long-lasting antihistamines (Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Blexten, Rupall or Atarax) at least 7 days prior to your appointment. Benadryl or Chlortripolon are fine until the night before your appointment.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma inhalers, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
  • Please bring your BC Care Card and a list of your medications to your appointment
  • If your appointment is due to a food allergy, facial swelling or rash, please bring any relevant photographs and notes about the reaction to your appointment
  • No perfumes or scented products; No snacks containing nuts

Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, your intake form is not submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment
  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • One to two hours

Follow-up (In Office)

*In order to be seen in follow-up and have your visit covered by the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP), you will require a new referral from your family doctor or a walk-in clinic if you have not been seen in our clinic in the last 6 months
WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Speak with the Doctor about your concerns
  • For Dr. Barlas (Allergist) – Undergo testing (such as skin prick testing) if indicated
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • If attending for skin prick testing, no long-lasting antihistamines (Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Blexten, Rupall or Atarax) at least 7 days prior to your appointment. Benadryl or Chlortripolon are fine until the night before your appointment.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma inhalers, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
  • Please bring your BC Care Card and a list of your medications to your appointment

Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • The duration of the appointment will depend on whether follow-up testing is required and can last between 30-60 minutes

Drug Testing

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Speak with the Doctor about your concerns
  • Fill out a consent form
  • Undergo an oral challenge (most likely) or intradermal testing (if indicated). *Please note, there is a $30 fee for intradermal testing as this is not covered by MSP
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, and who have not done so previously, ensure your intake form is submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment (please visit the Forms tab to access the intake form)
  • No long-lasting antihistamines (Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Blexten, Rupall or Atarax) at least 7 days prior to your appointment. Benadryl or Chlortripolon are fine until the night before your appointment.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma inhalers, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
  • Please bring your BC Care Card and a list of your medications to your appointment
  • Please bring any relevant photographs and notes about the reaction and possible exposures
  • No perfumes or scented products; No snacks containing nuts

Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas, your intake form is not submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment
  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • Depending on the drug being challenged, you will be in the clinic for 1.5 to 4.5 hours

Oral Food Challenge

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Undergo a food challenge. Consume a specific food, in gradually increasing amounts, under medical supervision, to accurately diagnose or rule out a food allergy
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment to fill out forms
  • Avoid long-lasting antihistamines (Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Blexten, Rupall or Atarax) at least 7 days prior to your appointment. Benadryl or Chlortripolon are fine until the night before your appointment.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma inhalers, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
  • No perfumes or scented products; No snacks containing nuts
PLEASE BRING:
  • Specific food that is being challenged
  • Your medical card and list of all medications
  • Your epinephrine autoinjector (ie. EpiPen)
  • Items to entertain children while in the office

Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • Approximately 3-4 hours

Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT)

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Receive an injection with your immunotherapy serum
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • No perfumes or scented products; no snacks containing nuts
  • Please arrive 5 minutes early to your appointment
Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • The appointment will take 10-15 minutes, with an additional 30 minute wait to ensure there are no adverse reactions. Approximately 45 minutes in total

Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT)

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Fill out a new patient intake form if not already completed
  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Take the first tablet of your sublingual (under tongue) immunotherapy medication
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to your appointment to fill out forms
  • No perfumes or scented products; no snacks containing nuts
Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • New Patients
    • Approximately 1 hour, plus an additional 30 minutes to ensure there are no adverse reactions (1.5 hours in total)
  • Follow-up Patients
    • Approximately 15 minutes, plus an additional 30 minutes to ensure there are no adverse reactions (45min total)

Venom Evaluation

WHAT TO EXPECT

On arriving at the office, you can expect to:

  • Fill out a new patient intake form
  • Have your vital signs taken (height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen levels)
  • Speak with the Doctor about your history of reactions to insect stings
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, and who have not done so previously, ensure your intake form is submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment (please visit the Forms tab to access the intake form)
  • No long-lasting antihistamines (Reactine, Claritin, Aerius, Allegra, Blexten, Rupall or Atarax) at least 7 days prior to your appointment. Benadryl or Chlortripolon are fine until the night before your appointment.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma inhalers, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
  • Please bring your BC Care Card and a list of your medications to your appointment
  • No perfumes or scented products; no snacks containing nuts
  • Please bring pictures of insect stings and reactions to insect stings
  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to your appointment

Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, your intake form is not submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment
  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service at least 2 business days prior to your visit
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • Approximately 30 minutes

Patch Testing

WHAT TO EXPECT

The patch test is completed over three separate appointments (Day A, Day B and Day C) in a one-week time frame:

  • During your initial appointment (Day A), you will have the patches applied to your back by a trained staff member from Dr. Barlas’ team. Detailed instructions will be discussed on aftercare and next steps. Patches will be placed on your back and should remain in place for 48 hours.
  • You will return for your second appointment (Day B) 48 hours after initial application (Day A), and have the patch tests removed. Photos of the back will be taken on that day.
  • You will then return for your final appointment (Day C) 4-5 days after the initial application (Day A), and have the patch test results read by Dr. Barlas.
  • We require you to confirm you can attend all three appointments at the time of the booking.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR DAY A
  • Please shower before the appointment as you are instructed not to shower for 48 hours after patch application.
  • Please ensure your back is hair-free for effective application and keeping your appointment on time. If not completed, our staff will have to do this for you.
  • For those individuals who wear a brassiere, please avoid wearing a sports bra to the appointment, regular brassieres with minimal straps are ideal for application for the patches.
  • Please wear loose clothing.
  • The appointment will take between 15-30 minutes
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR DAY B
  • The patches will be removed on this day and photos will be taken.
  • You may have a shower or bath after today, but you cannot scrub or wash the back abrasively until the final reading of the patches (Day C)
  • The appointment will take between 5-10 minutes
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR DAY C
  • Please bring any relevant photographs and notes about the original reaction and possible exposures.
  • This appointment will take between 30-40 minutes
GENERAL INFORMATION
  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, and who have not done so previously, ensure your intake form is submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment (please visit the Forms tab to access the intake form)
  • Antihistamines and nasal sprays can be taken, as they do not impact patch testing results. Please notify the patch technician if you have recently received oral steroids (such as prednisone) or if you are using topical steroids at the site of patch application.
  • No perfumes or scented products; no snacks containing nuts.
  • Please bring your medical card and a list of all your medications.
  • You can continue to take long-lasting antihistamines (Allegra, Reactine, Aerius, Claritin, Blexten, Rupall, or Atarax) as well as Benadryl or Chlor-Tripolon.
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, steroid asthma puffer, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued.
Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • For patients seeing Dr. Barlas for the first time, your intake form is not submitted 5 business days prior to your appointment
  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service (email, text, or phone call) at least 2 business days prior to your visit.
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • Day A, between 15 and 30 minutes
  • Day B, between 10 and 15 minutes
  • Day C, between 30 and 40 minutes

Spirometry

WHAT TO EXPECT

During this appointment, you will undergo a breathing test with a respiratory therapist or technician. They will seat you down in a comfortable chair and go over instructions for the breathing test. A clip will be placed on your nose, and you will do a practice test with the technician. Once comfortable with the procedure, you will start the “Pre” Spirometry test.

Some patients will undergo a “Pre” and “Post” Spirometry test (before and after taking a bronchodilator medication, e.g. Ventolin). Once you have completed the “Pre” test, you will then be asked to take your inhaled medication, and wait for 15 minutes. The “Post” test is conducted after taking your medication.

This breathing test may be combined with a follow-up visit with your Allergist or Respirologist, where your Doctor will review your results. In some cases, this may be done over the phone, at a later date, once the Doctor has had time to review your results.


GENERAL INFORMATION
Avoid the following:

  • 4 hours prior to your appointment:
    • Drinking caffeinated beverages
    • Smoking
    • Short acting bronchodilators (salbutamol/ventolin, terbutaline/bricanyl)
  • 12 hours prior to your appointment:
    • Long acting bronchodilators or inhaled corticosteroids (Advair, Alvesco, Breo, Flovent, Symbicort, Pulmicort, etc.)
Please bring:

  • All of your inhaled medications
  • Spacer device (if you have one)
You can continue to take:

  • Long lasting antihistamines (Allegra, Reactine, Aerius, Claritin, Blextin, Rupall or Atarax) as well as Benadryl or Chlor-Tripolon
  • Sudafed, nasal sprays, topical steroids, prednisone and regular allergy injections are fine to be continued
Your appointment will be rescheduled if:

  • You do not confirm your appointment via our automated reminder service (email, text, or phone call) at least 2 business days prior to your visit.
ESTIMATED APPOINTMENT LENGTH
  • Approximately 1 hour

COVID-19 Update

Information Regarding COVID-19 and Your Appointment 

IMPORTANT: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering more virtual care options for our patients in our practice either via telephone or video appointment. After a virtual assessment, we will make arrangements for an in person appointment if further assessment or testing is required.

If you are scheduled for an in person visit, please review our COVID-19 procedures:

Stay home if you are feeling ill

This includes symptoms of cold, flu or COVID-19 (even if mild) or if you have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Wear a medical grade face mask

A medical grade mask will be provided to you when you enter the clinic in accordance with the BC Ministry of Health policy. Cloth masks are no longer allowed. 

Maintain physical distancing

Please practice physical distancing in the waiting room and throughout the clinic.

Sanitize your hands

Upon entering, you will be required to sanitize your hands using provided hand sanitizer.

Please arrive 5 minutes early

Attend your appointment alone (when possible)

Please attend your appointment alone or with one accompanying adult (if the patient is a minor or if a translator is needed).

Complete the COVID-19 screening questionnaire

We require completion of our COVID-19 screening before your appointment.

How can we help you?

If you have questions about your allergy or respiratory care, please contact our clinic via telephone or email.

Contact us today!