Ontario expands pharmacist scope of practice: How CPS can support you
With recent scope of practice expansions in Ontario, CPS is here to support pharmacists with trusted, evidence-informed clinical guidance.
As of July 1, pharmacists in Ontario can assess and prescribe for nine additional minor ailments, while also administering six additional publicly funded vaccines for eligible Ontarians. To help pharmacists confidently integrate these new authorities into practice, CPS Full Access offers practical, evidence-informed resources that support patient assessment, treatment and follow-up.
Supporting minor ailment prescribing with CPS
Whether you're assessing a patient, selecting an appropriate treatment option or determining when referral is needed, CPS Full Access offers practical tools to support evidence-informed decision-making at the point of care.
For many of Ontario's newly added minor ailments, CPS includes:
- Patient assessment and treatment algorithms
- Drug tables with pharmacologic treatment options
- Nonpharmacologic treatment recommendations
- Monitoring of therapy guidance
- Prevention strategies
- Patient handouts and counselling information
Where to look in CPS Full Access:
- Calluses and corns: Assessment of Foot Symptoms: Focus on Corns, Calluses, Bunions and Ingrown Toenails
- Dandruff: Dandruff and Seborrheic Dermatitis
- Dry eye: Dry Eye
- Head lice: Parasitic Skin Infections: Lice and Scabies
- Jock itch: Fungal Skin Infection
- Mild headache: Headache in Adults and Headache in Children
- Nasal congestion: Viral Rhinitis and Acute Rhinosinusitis
- Ringworm: Fungal Skin Infection
- Warts: Viral Skin Infections: Common and Flat (Plane) Warts and Plantar Warts
These chapters include patient assessment and treatment algorithms to support assessment, triage and referral decisions. Drug tables also feature a Trillium icon identifying medications that pharmacists in Ontario are authorized to prescribe under the province's Minor Ailments Prescribing Program. Need help finding these features? Check out the How to Find Algorithms and Drug Tables resource.
Supporting expanded immunization services
Pharmacists in Ontario can also now administer six additional publicly funded vaccines for eligible Ontarians: tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, RSV and shingles. Pharmacy technicians who meet the required training requirements are also authorized to administer all eligible vaccines following a pharmacist's assessment.
CPS can help support immunization services with trusted Canadian guidance, providing current vaccine recommendations, product information and practical clinical resources.
Where to look in CPS Full Access:
Building toward a stronger vision for pharmacy care
As provinces and territories expand pharmacist services, momentum continues to build across the country toward a stronger vision for pharmacy care. CPhA’s Pharmacists CAN campaign is helping reinforce that vision—one where Canadians can more consistently access the care, expertise and services pharmacists are educated to provide in their communities.
Practising outside Ontario?
Minor ailments assessment and prescribing continues to expand across Canada. Regardless of where you practise, CPS can help with trusted Canadian clinical guidance, treatment algorithms and drug information to support evidence-informed assessment and management of minor ailments.