Get online treatment for high cholesterol management.

In addition to seeking online cholesterol support through Felix, there are some lifestyle changes that you can start making in your daily life to help with prevention and reducing high cholesterol levels.

Some changes that you can make which could begin to positively impact your cholesterol levels include:

• Eating a well-balanced, healthy diet
• Avoiding foods that are known to cause high cholesterol levels
• Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol intake and only drinking in moderation
• Getting regular exercise

If you’d like to access Felix’s online high cholesterol supports, you can start today by completing a short online assessment. One of our practitioners will evaluate your current needs, health, lifestyle, and medical history to provide you with a customized high cholesterol treatment and management plan.

With Felix in your corner, you can take back control of your health and quality of life, so that you can get back to living life on your terms – the way it should be.

Yes, Felix provides testing to get a clear answer on whether you have high cholesterol levels or not. 

Or, if you’ve already received a diagnosis and require high cholesterol treatment and management assistance, complete a short online assessment to begin talking to a practitioner today.

They may be able to help you access any prescription high cholesterol treatments you may need, in addition to guidance on lifestyle changes that you can naturally improve your high cholesterol levels.

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Yes, there are a few different ways that Felix can help you with online high cholesterol support and management solutions.

Your practitioner will likely suggest a variety of potential lifestyle changes that you can make, in order to help naturally bring down your high cholesterol levels, using food choices and an increased exercise regimen.

In addition to this, if they believe it could be a beneficial part of your high cholesterol treatment and management plan, they can provide prescription high cholesterol medications (i.e., Statins) to help assist you in your journey to better control your cholesterol.

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Yes, it definitely can. In fact, uncontrolled high cholesterol can cause major health problems like coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.

This is because without proper high cholesterol treatment and management, dangerous amounts of ‘plaque’ can build up on the walls of your arteries which can lead to both heart attacks and strokes, which can both be life-threatening.

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Yes, you can have high cholesterol with no symptoms. In fact, there are no common symptoms or signs of high cholesterol, which can help you identify that you may have high cholesterol levels. That’s why high cholesterol levels are often called a ‘silent condition’.

The only way to definitively determine whether your cholesterol levels are high is through blood tests, which your practitioner will suggest to help identify and diagnose this condition. This is part of the reason why period blood testing is important to help monitor your ongoing health as you age.

Since there are no common signs or symptoms of high cholesterol, many people don’t bother to seek high cholesterol treatment or management solutions until they’ve already begun experiencing the signs of Coronary Heart Disease, or they experience a heart attack or stroke.

By this point, there may already be irreparable damage done to your heart or arteries. Whereas prevention of high cholesterol through food choices and exercise can reduce the causes of high cholesterol before they occur.

In rare or extreme cases, there are some signs of high cholesterol on your face that you may be able to see. Be sure to talk to your practitioner immediately, if you begin to experience:

• Xanthomas – Fatty, yellow-coloured deposits under your skin or around your eyes, elbows, or knees. This is typically found in people with genetic lipid disorders.‍
• Arcus Senilis – A white or grayish ring that appears around the cornea of your eye. This is often seen in seniors, but it can be a sign of high cholesterol levels in people under the age of 45.

High cholesterol levels don’t actually cause weight gain, but there is a strong connection between unmanaged high cholesterol and metabolic health issues, including weight gain; especially when you also have metabolic syndrome.

Conversely, weight gain can lead directly to high cholesterol. This is because when your body is carrying excess weight (particularly visceral fat around your organs), it can lead to:

• Lower HDL levels (good cholesterol)
• Higher LDL levels and triglycerides (bad cholesterol and fats)
• Increased risk of experiencing both heart disease and type 2 diabetes

It’s important to recognize that high cholesterol doesn’t actually directly ‘damage’ your metabolism, but there is a connection between high cholesterol and metabolism/metabolic health.

When you have high cholesterol it could indicate that you have a metabolic health imbalance. This is particularly prevalent in patients that have certain types of conditions, such as metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance.

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When high cholesterol is managed, they can lead to plaque build-up in your arteries. Blood moves through your arteries like water moving through a pipe, but when the pipe becomes blocked, the water can no longer flow properly.

The same rules apply to your arteries. Blocked arteries prevent essential things like oxygen, nutrients, and blood itself from being able to reach your heart. Over time, depriving your heart of these important things can lead to it becoming diseased or damaged.

When your arteries become blocked by plaque, it can lead to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), which is one of the most common forms of heart disease worldwide. Left untreated, this can lead to potentially deadly health events like both heart attacks and strokes.

If you’ve had blood testing completed, your practitioner will likely start by suggesting a series of lifestyle changes. These can help reduce your high cholesterol levels naturally, while also improving your overall health.

This could include a variety of suggestions, such as:

• Losing weight (if you’re overweight or obese)
• Eating a healthy and balanced diet
• Exercising more frequently and/or for longer periods of time
• Reducing stress levels (i.e., through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, meditation, yoga, etc.)

In addition to these lifestyle suggestions, if your practitioner believes it could be beneficial as part of your high cholesterol management plan, they can provide prescription high cholesterol medications, which can also reduce cholesterol levels in your blood.

There are a variety of medications your practitioner may suggest as your high cholesterol treatment, depending on your individual needs.

Medications can help high cholesterol management by preventing plaque build-up within your arteries, which reduces the risks of negative conditions occurring.

The most valuable thing to keep in mind when you’re meal planning and thinking about adjusting your typical foods to reduce high cholesterol is that your diet should be well-balanced and nutritious (i.e., lots of vitamins, minerals, and healthy proteins).

In regards to high cholesterol management, avoiding certain types of food known to cause high cholesterol is a good choice. This could include high cholesterol foods like:

• Fried foods (i.e., french fries, breaded, fried meat, anything cooked in oil)
• Foods made with trans fats
• Heavily processed foods
• Foods containing large amounts of salt
• Fatty foods (i.e., whole milk or high-percentage dairy products, fatty meats, etc.)
• Alcohol
• Sugary foods or drinks

Eating some of these foods in moderation is fine, as long as the rest of your diet is well-balanced and nutritious. However, consistently basing your diet on foods from these categories can increase your risks of experiencing high cholesterol symptoms.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is what practitioners are talking about when they refer to ‘bad cholesterol’. This type of cholesterol is the kind that causes plaque build-up in high cholesterol patients, which can lead to major health complications.

On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the ‘good cholesterol’ that helps your body get rid of excess cholesterol that it doesn’t need. There is supposed to be a balance of both of these types of cholesterol in your body, which we refer to as your total cholesterol.

When total cholesterol in your body is less than 6.2 mmol/L and/or LDL levels are 3.5 mmol/L or above, it’s generally considered high cholesterol. Though, these ranges can vary depending on age, gender, or other health factors.

‍SIDE NOTE: You’ll often hear discussions about triglycerides in relation to high cholesterol management, so it’s important to know that triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood that can increase your risks of both heart attacks and strokes; especially alongside uncontrolled high cholesterol levels.

There are a wide variety of different potential causes of high cholesterol, so there are a number of different people who could be at risk of it occurring. Some people may even be genetically predisposed to high cholesterol levels, which may cause it to occur earlier in life.

Some conditions may increase the risks of high cholesterol occurring, as well. You may be at a higher risk of requiring high cholesterol treatment or management solutions if you have:

• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic liver disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Familial hypercholesterolemia
• HIV
• Lupus
• Sleep apnea

You may also be at a higher risk of developing high cholesterol levels if you’re overweight or obese (overweight = BMI between 27-30; obese = BMI >30).

In addition to these conditions, there are some medications used in the treatment of other conditions, which may cause high cholesterol as a side effect. These include patients who are treating:

• Acne
• High blood pressure
• HIV
• Irregular heartbeat
• Cancer

People who have recently had an organ transplant may also be taking medications that cause high cholesterol levels, so if any of these conditions are currently being treated for you, be sure your practitioner is also periodically checking your blood cholesterol levels.

No. We use an asynchronous telemedicine model so you can complete your online visit in your own time and we save your progress so you can come back later to finish it.

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

Most assessments do not require a phone or video conversation. Once a prescriber has reviewed the info in your assessment they will respond to you via secure instant messages that you can access within your Felix account.  

If you are completing a visit in the mental health or weight loss categories, your healthcare practitioner may require a phone or video call to discuss your medical profile further during the assessment process.

After creating an account, you will complete a medical assessment for evaluation by one of the Felix healthcare practitioners. 

During your assessment, you will have the opportunity to send your practitioner questions via secure messaging.  

In most cases, practitioners will complete your assessment with secure messaging alone but sometimes they may determine you require an audio or video visit and/or further diagnostic testing to help determine the best treatment plan for you. 

If your practitioner has determined a prescription treatment is appropriate, they will approve your visit and write you a prescription. Our pharmacy will then ship your prescription to your home.

You’ll be able to message your healthcare practitioner if you have questions or want to make changes to your treatment at any time.

You can expect to receive a response from a healthcare practitioner within 48 hours of submission.  Delays may occur at high volume periods or over statutory holidays – we thank you for your patience and look forward to supporting you.

Great, you’ve already taken the first step! Next, a healthcare practitioner will review your assessment and if necessary, will send you a link to book an online audio or video appointment with them. This appointment will help them determine the best treatment plan for you. If your healthcare practitioner thinks you will benefit from an available medication, they will write you a prescription. Our pharmacy can ship your medication to your home if you would like your medication dispensed through the Felix Pharmacy network.

A signature upon delivery may be required.

Your address can be updated from the Shipping tab of your account. Kindly note that any changes need to be made 48hr ahead of your refill date.

Not long. After completing your assessment, a practitioner will generally respond within 24 hours, and often much sooner.

The pharmacy will process and fill your prescription within 2-3 business days of your prescription approval date if there is nothing blocking them from doing so.

All packages are shipped via Express Post, which usually takes 2-3 business days. You will receive an email with your tracking number once your treatment has been shipped.

You have 14 days from the date your tracking link was sent to notify us of an undelivered or lost package, or damaged medication.

There is currently no cost to have your medication sent to you from our Felix Pharmacy network.

Absolutely. All Felix shipments arrive in a nondescript blister package so you can have your treatment shipped wherever makes sense for you as long as there is someone there to sign for it.

Depending on your province of residence and the treatment being dispensed, your Felix packages may require a signature on delivery. If this cannot be collected where necessary, your package will be available at the closest post office for pick up. Usually, packages are available for up to 14 days after the first attempted delivery. If you don’t pick up your package within the allotted time, it will be returned to the sender, which may cause a further delay in your delivery.

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Status updates for your prescription will appear in the Upcoming tab. You’ll be able to see if your prescription is being processed by our pharmacists or if it’s en route for delivery.

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Refill schedule (drug dependent)

• Monthly: refill is processed approx. every 20 to 23 days
• Every 2 months: refill is processed approx. every 50 to 53 days
• Every 3 months: refill is processed approx. every 76 to 84 days

Yes, the pharmacy will process your prescription to account for any expected delays due to the holiday season.

Treatment coverage varies greatly between different insurance plans.

The good news is that if you are covered, Felix can bill your insurer directly, and then process your treatment plan at no additional cost to you. We recommend that you upload your private and/or provincial benefit card during the online visit so that our pharmacy partner can apply any coverage you are eligible for before processing your treatment plan.

Insurance coverage for treatment plans through Felix doesn’t include the cost of your visit.

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Go to Billing where you can add or update your insurance information on file.

You will find the official receipt for your medication costs within your package from the pharmacy. This receipt can be used to submit a manual claim directly to your insurance/benefits provider. Future refills will be direct-billed directly to your insurance provider, once you have uploaded your insurance information from the Billing tab of your account.

The coverage you are eligible for will not be deducted until the pharmacy processes your refill, so the price you see in your profile is the estimated maximum medication cost before benefits. Once the pharmacy ships your meds, the actual cost will be displayed for the respective refill.

OHIP+ covers some birth control for eligible residents of Ontario who are under 25 years old and do not have private insurance. You can check if your birth control medication is covered here. Make sure to upload your Ontario health card during your online visit so our pharmacy partners can apply your coverage directly.

Medication coverage varies greatly between different plans, provinces, and has specific criteria that determine eligibility. For private insurance, we recommend contacting your benefits administrator with your details and the Drug Identification Number (DIN) and the drug name to determine your coverage.

For more details on provincial health plan coverage see below:

Alberta: Learn more about AHCIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

British Columbia: Learn more about MSP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Manitoba: Learn more about MHSIP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Learn more about MCP here. Search for covered drugs here.

Nova Scotia: Learn more about MSI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Ontario: Learn more about OHIP+ here. Search for covered drugs here.

Prince Edward Island: Learn more about Health PEI here. Search for covered drugs here.

Saskatchewan: Learn more about Saskatchewan Health Coverage here. Search for covered drugs here.‍

A Felix online visit is considered asynchronous since it is conveniently completed through a secure chat bases system. Currently, asynchronous visits are not covered by insurance or provincial health plans so you will be charged a visit fee, depending on the category of treatment you are requesting.

Absolutely. Our online assessments have been designed to ask all the necessary questions required for diagnosis. We’ve worked with specialists to create an assessment process that can provide sufficient information for the healthcare practitioner to determine whether or not you are eligible for a prescription and craft an appropriate treatment plan.

No. Felix provides a faster, hassle-free way for you to get a treatment plan for certain conditions, but our service does not replace your primary care provider. For matters that extend beyond obtaining a lifestyle treatment safely and easily, we encourage you to consult your primary health practitioner in person — whether for checkups, personal health concerns, or to inform them about your current treatments or treatment plans.

Call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room immediately. Felix is not intended for medical emergencies. Once the emergency has been addressed or resolved, contact your prescribing practitioner to inform them of your experience as this may impact your current treatment plan.

Felix is Canada’s first truly integrated healthcare platform. We provide on-demand treatment for everyday health needs like weight loss, mental health, sexual health, and more. Founded in 2019, our digital-first approach to healthcare includes everything from diagnosis to prescription — all accessible from the comfort of home.

Anyone who is 18 years or older (16 or older for acne and birth control prescriptions), and is located in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan or Ontario. We cannot ship treatments outside of these provinces at this time.

You will have the ability to chat with your designated Felix practitioner for the entirety of your prescription length. When your prescription is nearing completion, we will email you to submit a checkup visit so one of our prescribers can renew your prescription. 

Our matching system is based on availability, so we can’t guarantee you’ll be paired with the same healthcare practitioner at your renewal visit.

Felix practitioners are unable to make referrals at this time. We suggest you speak with your family doctor or local walk-in clinic.

Your Felix practitioner will message you via secure instant message. You’ll receive an email when you have a new message and can respond to these from within your Felix account.

Our medical team and board members help oversee each of our treatments to ensure our medical assessments are thorough, safe, personalized, and provide best-in-class care. Our pharmacists provide treatment support through medication counselling and education.

They are all licensed, real Canadian healthcare practitioners! All online visits submitted via Felix are reviewed by them and they must be licensed in your province to prescribe you the medication. It is these healthcare practitioners, and not Felix, who determine whether or not to write you a prescription, as well as the appropriate dosage (where applicable).

Changing medication does legally require a new prescription as the healthcare practitioner will need to both cancel the existing prescription as well as review a health assessment of yours in the context of this different drug.
Go to Treatments, click “View details” on your prescription, and use the “Change my treatment plan” feature to submit a free follow-up visit and request a medication change with your healthcare practitioner.

Prescriptions written by Felix healthcare practitioners will last up to 12 months from the date of issue. Generally, your Felix prescription will contain refills for the prescribed medication. However, the amount of medication and the number of refills prescribed will ultimately be decided by the practitioner who reviews your online visit.

Felix Pharmacy currently accepts prescription transfers from existing Felix patients for medications within our formulary. If that applies to you, we’d be glad to help get your transfer started.

Every pharmacy charges a dispensing fee for filling prescriptions. Think of it as a service fee for knowledge and service provided by the pharmacist. If you get your medication through Felix, our pharmacy is still required to charge a fill fee and that fee is included in the price of medication that we display. A $12.00 fill fee is charged for each drug, every time you get a refill.

We are planning to offer prescriptions for a variety of other everyday ailments. If you want to know when they become available, sign up for our mailing list by creating an account.