The province of Ontario is changing the accessibility for some prescriptions beginning next week.
Starting this Sunday, January 1, 2023, Ontario will make prescriptions for 13 of the most common ailments available at pharmacies "just by stopping in with an Ontario health card." Pharmacists will be able to make the prescription needed without a doctor's visit, and without an added cost to the patient.
The province defines a common ailment as, "a health condition that can be reliably self-diagnosed and managed with self-care strategies and/or minimal treatment."
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)
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Ontario says they are "making it more convenient for people to connect to care closer to home by launching pharmacist prescribing for some of the most common medical ailments," allowing Ontarians to "access care by removing a doctor’s office visit and will come at no extra cost."
"Stopping by your local pharmacy for quick and easy access to treatment for some of your most common ailments increases your access to the care you need closer to home," said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.
Justin Bates, CEO, Ontario Pharmacists Association, says, "Empowering pharmacists to use their expertise to assess and treat minor ailments helps patients get the care they need sooner and closer to home – but the benefits go much further."
"It reduces demand on hospitals, emergency departments, walk-in clinics and family physicians," he continues. "It also frees up time for our healthcare partners, allowing doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers to focus on more complex care cases."
With a large, province-wide footprint, Ontario officials hope that pharmacist prescribing will "help to increase access to care in rural parts of Ontario."
In addition to "providing more convenience," they say "pharmacy prescribing will also help free-up doctors’ bandwidth to provide care for more complex needs, helping to reduce wait times for these services."
Further details about this announcement are available online here directly with the province of Ontario.