Alberta is one of two provinces where the number of family physicians per capita has decreased over the past decade. As a result, about 14% of the residents don’t have a family physician. Although finding a family doctor in Alberta is not easy, there are certain ways you can get medical care. Here are some of these:
- Use the Alberta Find a Doctor Online Directory
- Call Health Link at 811
- Search CPSA Registry
- Leverage personal networks
While these methods can take time to connect you with a family doctor in Alberta, you can still get primary care through other options. Learn what these options are and when you can use them.
Why is it so hard to find a family doctor in Alberta right now?
Alberta’s population has grown quickly in recent years (from 4.26 million in 2021 to 5 million in 2025), but the number of family doctors taking on new patients hasn’t grown at the same pace. That’s why finding a family doctor in Alberta has become increasingly difficult. For example, the number of family practices accepting new patients dropped from nearly 900 in 2020 to just 164 in 2024. Here are a few other reasons there are not enough family doctors in Alberta:
- Many family physicians are retiring or scaling back, leaving hundreds of patients unattached.
- The previous fee-for-service model didn’t reflect the time needed for complex care, paperwork, and follow-ups, leading physicians to move away from community family practice.
- More medical graduates are choosing specialties or hospital-based roles that can offer different schedules and career paths, which means fewer new family doctors entering the community system.
- A family physician in Alberta often cares for 1,000–2,000 patients. Many panels include more older adults and patients managing chronic conditions, reducing how many of new patient spots a clinic can open.
This results in difficulty getting timely primary care appointments, delays in prescription refills, challenges accessing lab requisitions or specialist referrals, and even trouble obtaining a simple doctor’s note for work or school.
How to find a family doctor in Alberta: The most reliable steps that work
Finding a new family doctor requires persistence, but Alberta does offer tools to streamline the search. Here are the most reliable steps and resources to connect with a family physician:
1. Use the Alberta Find a Doctor Online Directory
This tool is in a partnership between Primary Care Networks and Alberta Health. It allows you to search by location or postal code to see family doctors and nurse practitioners accepting new patients in their area. Although the number of clinics listed has decreased, it is a useful resource for anyone looking for a family doctor in Alberta.
Make sure you check the site frequently, as availability can change when new doctors join a clinic. If nothing is open nearby, expand your search radius. Once you find a suitable clinic, follow the given instructions.
2. Call Health Link at 811 for Guidance:
Health Link is a 24/7 phone service in Alberta that provides resources to help you find care. They might direct you to the Alberta Find a Doctor site, or
- Provide a reference to clinics accepting patients near you
- Email you a list of local doctors, if needed.
Calling 811 ensures you get professional advice on where to go for your immediate needs while you search for a family doctor near you.
3. Search the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) Physician Registry
The CPSA (the regulatory college for doctors) maintains an online directory of all licensed physicians in Alberta. While this directory doesn’t explicitly tell you who is accepting new patients, it’s useful for generating a list of clinics to inquire with. You can use it to find the contact information of family doctors in your city or town.
4. Leverage Personal Networks
Sometimes, the fastest way to get a family doctor in Alberta is through another patient’s referral. Ask your friends, colleagues, or family members whether their doctor is considering taking on a new patient. For instance, if you’ve moved from Calgary to Edmonton, you could ask your previous physician or specialist if they know colleagues in Edmonton who accept patients.
Community social media groups (Facebook, NextDoor) can also be helpful. Members might post that a new doctor’s office just opened and is looking for patients. While word-of-mouth won’t guarantee a spot, it can alert you to opportunities faster.
How long does it take to find a family doctor in Alberta?
It is not always easy to find a family doctor through the Alberta Find a Doctor Online Directory, community groups, or by calling Health811. Many Albertans report waiting 3–9 months on average to get a family doctor. One national survey found that about 12% of people have searched for over a year, and even given up.
If you live in Calgary, Edmonton, or any other city, you might find a doctor within a few weeks or months, if new clinics open. However, in areas with severe shortages, waits can be longer, extending 12 months or more.
No family doctor yet? Here are safe options while you wait
While you wait to find a doctor through the official system, you can choose one of the following services to get care faster:
Walk-in clinic
Alberta is home to several walk-in clinics, with about 200 in Calgary alone. These clinics allow you to see a doctor without an appointment, and get same-day care for a lingering nausea, a minor injury, a prescription refill, and other everyday health needs. Walk-in clinics usually operate on a first-come, first-served basis, and most accept Alberta Health. But they have a few limitations, such as:
- They do not provide ongoing care.
- You’ll see whichever doctor is available, and they won’t have your comprehensive history
- In urban cities, clinics reach capacity early, and you might still wait a few hours to be seen.
Nurse practitioner clinics
Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice nurses who function much like family doctors. They can examine patients, diagnose illnesses, order tests, provide referrals without a family doctor, and prescribe medications. If an NP clinic is available in your region, you can register there as your primary care home. But some NP clinics operate with limited capacity and have a few other limitations, including:
- May have limits on managing highly complex medical conditions independently
- Access can vary depending on location, patient demand, and clinic capacity.
- Complex cases may require collaboration with a licensed physician
- The scope of practice is different from that of a medical doctor (MD)
- Not all NP services are publicly funded, and most of them may charge fees
Urgent Care Centres and ER
Emergency Rooms (ERs) and Urgent Care Centres treat serious and time-sensitive medical problems. ERs are for life-threatening conditions such as chest pain and stroke symptoms.
Emergency Rooms (ERs) are for life-threatening conditions such as chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe breathing difficulty, major trauma, or uncontrolled bleeding. They operate 24/7 and prioritize the most critical patients first. Urgent Care Centres are meant for urgent issues, such as deep cuts requiring stitches, suspected fractures, and dehydration. They provide same-day care and may have access to basic diagnostic testing.
But using them for routine or ongoing primary care needs, such as prescription refills, minor infections, chronic condition management, or doctor’s notes, can lead to longer wait times, strain resources, and delay the treatment of life-threatening emergencies.
Where online doctors help while you search for a family doctor
While you wait to get attached to a family doctor in Alberta, you can get online services such as Your Doctors Online (YDO). YDO acts as a 24/7 virtual walk-in clinic, allowing you to consult with licensed Alberta online doctors from the comfort of your home. Here’s how online doctor services can help you while you’re searching for a family doctor:
Immediate Access
Most virtual care services offer faster access to primary care than an in-person walk-in clinic. For instance, YDO allows you to see a doctor within minutes, day or night. There’s no need to schedule an appointment days in advance.
24/7 access to the care
With Your Doctors Online, you can get care even if you wake up at 2 AM with a sinus infection or your child spikes a fever on a Sunday. Instead of waiting days for an appointment or spending hours in a walk-in clinic, an online doctor can assess you within minutes. They’ll ask you questions via secure chat or video, just as they would during an in-person visit, and recommend treatment.
Treatment for common issues
Online doctors can address a wide range of non-emergency health concerns, which is exactly what most primary care visits are anyway. You can get prescription renewals, birth control refills, antibiotics for infections, and advice for managing chronic conditions in between check-ups. They can also provide doctor’s notes for work/school, order lab tests or imaging, and give specialist referrals when needed.
However, virtual healthcare services are not a permanent replacement for having your own family physician who follows you long-term. For instance, they may not be able to help:
- Stitch a wound
- Listen to your heart/lungs
- Provide treatment for excessive bleeding
In such cases, they will direct you to the ER or an in-person clinic.
The information in this blog is meant for educational purposes only. Virtual care is most effective when your symptoms don’t require a physical exam. It is not a replacement for a long-term family doctor. Online doctors can’t help with emergencies like chest pain or shortness of breath. Please call 911 or go to the emergency department if you’re experiencing such symptoms.
FAQs: Alberta Find a Doctor + Family Doctor Questions
What if I need refills while unattached?
Getting refills with no family doctor can be stressful, but here are a few solutions:
- You can ask your pharmacist to fill your prescription if you are on a stable medication
- Visit a walk-in clinic
- Use an online doctor service to get a refill prescription without stepping out of your home
Can I use an online doctor and still get a family doctor later?
Yes, using an online doctor service does not exclude you from getting a family doctor in the future. Virtual care is meant to complement the healthcare system, not replace your eventual primary doctor. You should still put your name on waitlists or search for a family physician while you use online services for interim care.
How do I confirm a doctor is licensed in Alberta?
To verify a doctor’s credentials, you can use the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA) online registry. The CPSA website has a public Physician Directory where you can search a doctor’s name and see their status. This will show if they are actively licensed in Alberta and if they have any conditions or special qualifications.
How many Albertans don’t have a family doctor?
About 15% of the province’s population is without a family doctor in Alberta, according to the Official Publication of The College of Family Physicians of Canada. Whereas, an Angus Reid poll in late 2025 found that 14% of Albertans have no family doc (and an additional chunk can’t easily access theirs). This means one in seven Alberta residents is unattached. While you are on the waitlist, see our doctor online in Canada to get immediate access to care.
Do I have to pay for virtual care in Alberta?
It depends on the service. Alberta’s provincial health plan (AHCIP) does cover some virtual doctor visits, but these services are often slow and may require you to wait for hours to get primary care. Other virtual services might operate privately, meaning you pay a fee, either per visit or via a subscription.
