Core Services Pharmacists Can Provide in Ontario ✨
Based on OCP scope of practice, Pharmacy Act, and College guidance
Pharmacists are often the most accessible healthcare professionals.
Many services can help patients get care faster and safer.
Medication optimization improves outcomes and quality of life.
📌Core Services
💊Dispense, compound and sell medications
Pharmacists can dispense both prescription and non-prescription medications following standards of practice.
💉Administer certain vaccines and injections
This includes vaccines (e.g., influenza, COVID-19, and other permitted immunizations, including routine and publicly funded immunizations where applicable) and other injectable therapies within scope.
🔁Prescribe to renew existing prescriptions
Pharmacists can renew most prescriptions when appropriate to ensure continuity of care.
🧾Prescribe to adapt existing prescriptions
This includes changing dosage form, dose amount, or frequency when clinically appropriate.
🩺Minor Ailments Prescribing
(Acne (mild), Allergic rhinitis, Aphthous Ulcers (canker sores), Candidal stomatitis (oral thrush), Conjunctivitis (bacterial, allergic, or viral), Dermatitis (atopic/eczema, allergic, or contact), Diaper dermatitis, Dysmenorrhea, Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Hemorrhoids, Herpes labialis (cold sores), Impetigo, Insect bites and urticaria (hives), Tick bites, post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease, Musculoskeletal sprains and strains, Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, Pinworms and threadworms, Urinary tract infections (uncomplicated), Vulvovaginal candidiasis (yeast infection))
🧪Perform certain point-of-care tests
These may include tests that help guide therapeutic decisions and demonstrate self-testing devices (e.g., glucose, INR, rapid diagnostics where permitted).
📋Provide clinical medication reviews
Pharmacists assess all the medications a patient is taking to identify drug interactions, appropriateness of therapy, and education needs.
🤝Collaborate with prescribers and healthcare providers
Pharmacists work with physicians and others to optimize drug therapy and ensure safe, effective prescribing.
🗣️Patient counselling and education
Includes explaining proper medication use, side effects, device demonstration (e.g., inhalers), and general therapeutic education.
🚭Prescribe for smoking cessation and support ongoing therapy
Includes nicotine replacement therapy and prescription agents for quitting smoking.
⚠️Important Notes
- •Not all pharmacists are required to offer all services; providing a service (e.g., minor ailments prescribing) is optional and depends on training, pharmacy workflow, and policy.
- •Pharmacists must practise within the Standards of Practice, Code of Ethics, and all relevant policies issued by OCP.
- •Some services require additional training or certification before a pharmacist may offer them (for example, certain injections or prescribing for specific minor ailments).
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