Even More Convenient Care Close to Home Coming to Communities across Ontario

October 3, 2023

This provincial government is making it more convenient for people to connect to care in their community by making local pharmacies now a one-stop-shop for 19 common ailments.

Starting October 1st, Ontario has expanded the list of medications pharmacists can prescribe with additional six of the most common medical ailments (Full list below).

This is in addition to the 13 common ailments that have pharmacists have already been prescribing for since the beginning of the year, providing over 300,000 assessments to date.  

Pharmacist prescribing has been a huge success, giving people faster, more convenient access to the care they need closer to home, while helping to further reduce wait times at our community clinics and hospitals.

As with visiting a family physician or walk-in clinic, Ontarians can access this service at no extra cost when showing their Ontario health card.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the government is providing people with a better health care experience by connecting them to more convenient options closer to home.

Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003584/even-more-convenient-care-close-to-home-coming-to-communities-across-ontario

Full List below:

Starting Oct 1, people will be able to visit a local pharmacy to receive prescriptions for:

  • acne;
  • canker sores;
  • diaper rash;
  • yeast infections;
  • parasitic worms (pinworms and threadworms); and
  • nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.

This is in addition to the 13 common ailments pharmacists have been able to treat since January 1, 2023:

  • hay fever (allergic rhinitis);
  • oral thrush (candidal stomatitis);
  • pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral);
  • dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact);
  • menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea);
  • acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD));
  • hemorrhoids;
  • cold sores (herpes labialis);
  • impetigo;
  • insect bites and hives;
  • tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease);
  • sprains and strains (musculoskeletal); and
  • urinary tract infections (UTIs).