Local Pharmacies Now a One-Stop-Shop for Thirteen Common Ailments

December 30, 2022

Starting January 1, 2023, Ontarians will be able to skip the doctor’s office visit and go straight to a local pharmacy to receive prescriptions from highly-trained pharmacists for thirteen common ailments, including rashes, pink eye, insect bites or urinary tract infections at no extra cost.

Allowing pharmacists to assess and prescribe for these common ailments is another way the government is making it more convenient for Ontarians to access the care they need, in addition to helping to free up physician bandwidth for more complex needs.

Pharmacists will be able to offer prescriptions for:

• 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).

This service makes it more convenient for people to access care by removing a doctor’s office visit and will come at no extra cost to Ontarians.

Stopping by your local pharmacy for quick and easy access to treatment increases your access to the care you need closer to home. With a large, provincewide footprint, pharmacists prescribing will help to increase access to care in rural parts of Ontario.

Expanding the ability of pharmacists to provide care is one more way we’re putting people at the centre of our health care system, making it easier, faster and more convenient to access health care in their community.

Learn More: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1002620/spread-the-word-local-pharmacies-now-a-one-stop-shop-for-thirteen-common-ailments