Ontario pharmacists to administer more vaccines, treat more conditions

Province expands pharmacists' scope in order to relieve health-care system pressures.

Published May 11, 2026  •  1 minute read

Ontario is expanding the list of illnesses pharmacists are permitted to treat. Photo by Azin Ghaffarri /Postmedia Network

Got jock itch? No more need for the doctor.

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Pharmacists in Ontario will be allowed to administer more vaccines and treat more common illnesses as the province continues to expand their practice.

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Starting in July, pharmacists will be able to vaccinate for tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, respiratory syncytial virus, shingles and pneumococcus.

Faster access to care: Province

The province says the move is meant to reduce pressure on the health-care system, get faster access to care, particularly for those who live in more rural and remote communities across Ontario.

“Our government is delivering on our plan to make it more convenient for people to access the care they need, closer to home,” Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, said in a news release. “Ontarians have experienced firsthand the convenience of pharmacist prescribing and today’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.”

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Jones adds the province is planning to add five more to the list next year.

List gets longer for pharmacists

Also starting in July, pharmacists and qualified health-care practitioners will be able to treat several more illnesses and conditions. Those include: calluses and corns, dandruff, dry eye, head lice, jock itch, mild headache, nasal congestion, ringworm and warts. 

The province has already allowed pharmacists to prescribe for certain ailments. Those include: acid reflux, canker sores, hemorrhoids, diaper rash, parasitic worms, pink eye, urinary tract infections (UTIs), nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and yeast infections, among other illnesses.

Queen’s Park has also ordered the province’s regulatory colleges for optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, denturists, and audiologists and speech-language pathologists to develop to expand those professions’ scopes of practice.

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