Yes - for certain conditions, Ontario pharmacists can prescribe antibiotics and other medications. Here is the complete 2026 minor ailments list and how assessment works.
Short answer: yes, for specific conditions. Ontario pharmacists can prescribe medications - including antibiotics where clinically appropriate - for a defined list of minor ailments. Whether an antibiotic is right for you depends entirely on the assessment, and a prescription is never guaranteed.
The program launched in January 2023 with an initial set of conditions, expanded later that year to 19, and grew again on July 1, 2026 with nine more - bringing the total to 28. The medications a pharmacist may prescribe for each are set out in Schedule 4 to Ontario Regulation 256/24 under the Pharmacy Act.
The nine conditions added in July 2026 are: calluses and corns, mild (tension-type) headache, head lice, dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis), ringworm, jock itch, warts (excluding face and genitals), nasal congestion, and dry eye. These join the earlier 19, which include urinary tract infections, pink eye, cold sores, yeast infections, impetigo, acid reflux, hemorrhoids, hay fever, insect bites and hives, canker sores, oral thrush, pinworms, menstrual cramps, sprains and strains, tick-bite (Lyme) prevention, nausea of pregnancy, eczema and dermatitis, diaper rash, and mild acne.
Some conditions are commonly treated with antibiotics when appropriate - for example an uncomplicated urinary tract infection, bacterial pink eye, or impetigo. Others are treated with antivirals (cold sores), antifungals (ringworm, yeast infection, jock itch), or non-antibiotic medications. The pharmacist decides based on your specific case, and often the right answer is a non-drug approach or an over-the-counter product.
Pick your condition on the conditions page, complete the questionnaire, and a licensed Ontario pharmacist reviews it and follows up - within about 2 hours. With a valid Ontario health card the assessment is free; without one it is a flat $30.
Pharmacists follow the same antibiotic-stewardship principles as other prescribers: antibiotics are only prescribed when they will actually help, to avoid resistance and side effects. If your situation needs a doctor or is an emergency, they will tell you and direct you to the right care.
See the conditions we can assess
Free with a valid Ontario health card, or $30 without. A prescription is not guaranteed - a licensed Ontario pharmacist provides one only when it is appropriate after reviewing your assessment.
Start your free assessment and a licensed Ontario pharmacist will be in touch within about 2 hours.
Start your free assessment**Free with a valid Ontario health card. Without one, the assessment is a flat $30.