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Effective December 1, 2010, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) will only cover 25-hydroxy vitamin D tests for patients with the following medical conditions:
- Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
- Rickets
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Renal Disease
- Patients on medications that affect vitamin D metabolism
To learn more >>>
OAML for Students is a “one-stop shop” for information on careers and education in the medical laboratory sciences in Ontario. Got an interest in science and a desire to help people? Check out OAML for Students.
Ontario's community laboratories are working with our partners in health care to ensure that Ontario's health system is ready to respond to an influenza pandemic. For information on flu and flu resources, visit our pandemic preparedness page.
The 2008 version of the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) was released on August 12, 2008. It includes updates to existing chapters as well as new chapters and tools designed to further guide and support planning across the healthcare system. There are revisions to the planning guidelines for laboratories and more detail is provided on surveillance and reporting systems.
The 2008 plan can be viewed in its entirety or in sections by visiting the Ministry of Health's website or by clicking here.
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Updated April 1, 2013 |
Revised Clinical Guideline Issued
The OAML's Quality Assurance Committee has issued the following revised Guideline:
CLP013: Guidelines for Ordering Urine Testing for Drugs-of-Abuse: Targeted and Screening Tests
(Revised March 2013 ) |
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OAML Scholarships Awarded
The OAML is pleased to announce that seven students were awarded scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. They are Elizabeth Wolynsky and Shobha Setia from Cambrian College, Zhu Xudong and Joanna Gladysz from St. Lawrence College and Zoe McIntyre, Raj Saniasy and Shameema Ferdous from UOIT. The OAML extends heartiest congratulations to these deserving students and wishes them well in their future careers.
To date, more than $47,000 has been given to dedicated students to help them achieve their academic and career objectives. |
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Revised Clinical Guidelines Issued
The OAML's Quality Assurance Committee has issued the following revised Guidelines:
CLP001: Guidelines for the Use of Laboratory Tests for Assessment of Iron Overload
(Revised November, 2012)
CLP004: Guidelines for the Ordering of Microscopic Urinalysis (Revised June, 2012)
CLP002: Guidelines for the Use of Serum Tests for Iron Deficiency (Revised February, 2012)
These documents and others produced by the OAML are available on the website by clicking on the following link.
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Colorectal Cancer Screening Program
Community laboratories are playing a significant role in the province-wide program to provide early detection of colorectal cancer. On April 1, 2008, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care launched ColonCancerCheck, a program targeted at individuals aged 50 and over who are at average risk - having no family history of colorectal cancer or symptoms. These individuals will have access to any easy-to-use at home Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT) screening kit available through physicians' offices, walk-in clinics, community health centres and pharmacies as well as through Telehealth Ontario.
Ontario's community laboratories have worked with the Ministry and Cancer Care Ontario for over a year helping to design and plan for the distribution and testing of the FOBT kits and the information management of program results.
Using the community laboratories' comprehensive province wide logistics system, laboratories distributed program test kits to more than 12,000 participating physicians and 3,000 pharmacies throughout the province and will continue to supply them with kits for the life of the program.
In addition, laboratories designed standardized fecal occult blood testing procedures and a comprehensive quality assurance program specifically for this program.
The community laboratories' LIS are a vital program component providing CCO with a mechanism to gather program information critical to program design, change requirements and program success. Laboratory information systems have been modified to report test results and program information to the Colorectal Cancer Screening Registry in addition to usual results reporting to the ordering primary care physicians.
The OAML and its member laboratories are committed to helping the program achieve success as measured by increased screening rates in the province. |
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Finding a Patient Services Centre or Specimen Collection Centre (SCC's)
OAML member laboratories have patient services centres and specimen collection centres located in most areas of Ontario. For your convenience we have listed OAML member SCC's and their addresses, alphabetically by city or town.
Search for an SCC near you.
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The Lab Counsellor™
The OAML's Lab Counsellors™ were created to answer the most common questions that patients have about their laboratory tests.
If your doctor has ordered laboratory tests for you, there are steps you can take to make sure that the results of the test are as accurate as possible. If your doctor has told you to fast before your tests, check out our Fasting Lab Counsellor™ or if you are taking Digoxin there's a Lab Counsellor™ to answer your questions too.
If you are on Anticoagulant Therapy, you will find very useful our Patient Guide to Anticoagulant Therapy.
A French translation of this Guide is also available:
Guide du patient sur l'anticoagulothérapie
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