The provincial government is again expanding the number of ailments pharmacists can treat and vaccinate against.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced on Monday that Ontario pharmacists will be allowed to administer six additional publicly funded vaccines as of July. The six vaccines are for tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), diphtheria, pneumococcal, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and shingles.
Pharmacists will also be allowed to begin assessing and prescribing for calluses and corns, dandruff, dry eye, head lice, jock itch, mild headache, nasal congestion, ringworm, and warts this summer. This is on top of 19 other conditions pharmacists are already permitted to treat.
“Ontarians have experienced firsthand the convenience of pharmacist prescribing and [Monday's] announcement continues our progress to reduce wait times and let more of our province’s health-care professionals work to the full extent of their expertise," said Jones.
She added that the province is planning to add up to five more ailments to the list early next year. That would bring the total number of common ailments that can be assessed and treated by Ontario pharmacists up to 33.
Ontario first began expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists in January 2023.
Regulatory colleges for optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, denturists, audiologists, and speech-language pathologists have now been directed by the Ontario government to begin developing a similar framework to expand those professions' scope of practice
"These future expansions will unlock additional capacity across the system by enabling professionals to deliver treatments and perform more procedures, helping people get faster access to care... while reducing wait times and easing pressure on primary care and emergency departments," according to the provincial government.
