Get Prescriptions for Many Ailments
Skip visiting your doctor or walk-in-clinic and go directly to your pharmacist for many ailments and medical conditions.
Here is the full list of ailments your pharmacist can directly diagnose and provide prescriptions, products, and treatments.
Accessing this service comes at no extra cost to Ontarians,
all you need is your health card.
Your pharmacist at Weston Jane Pharmacy can prescribe certain medications to treat the following ailments:
- acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD))
- acne
- canker sores
- cold sores (herpes labialis)
- dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact)
- diaper rash
- hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
- hemorrhoids
- impetigo
- insect bites and hives
- menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
- nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- oral thrush (candidal stomatitis)
- parasitic worms (pinworms and threadworms)
- pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral)
- sprains and strains (musculoskeletal)
- tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease)
- urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- yeast infections
These aliments are sometimes referred to as “common ailments” or “minor ailments” … in this context they mean the same thing.
This service is being provided by the government for all Ontarians to offer people more convenient choices for how they access and receive health care. With a large, province-wide footprint, pharmacist prescribing will also help to increase access to care in rural parts of Ontario.
Spread the Word: Local Pharmacies Now a One-Stop-Shop for Many Common Ailments
Highly trained pharmacists are able to prescribe for common ailments with no cost for the visit.
As of January 1, 2023, Ontarians are able to stop in at pharmacies across the province to receive prescriptions for many common ailments with just their health card.
This service makes it more convenient to access care by removing a doctor’s office visit and comes at no extra cost to Ontarians.
“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. 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.”
– Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health (Ontario 2023)
Quick Facts
A common ailment is a health condition that can be reliably self-diagnosed and managed with self-care strategies and/or minimal treatment.
Anyone with symptoms should contact their local pharmacist to confirm whether they provide prescribing services for certain common ailments before visiting the pharmacy.
This change builds on pharmacists’ current knowledge, skills and judgement to recommend over-the-counter medications and now prescription medications.
These changes are being made in partnership with the Ontario College of Pharmacists.
Ontarians can now also visit local pharmacies for Paxlovid prescriptions.
