Pink Eye in Kids: What to Do When School Calls (Ontario)

A few weeks into the school year, the call comes: your child has a red, goopy eye and needs to be picked up. Pink eye (conjunctivitis) spreads easily in classrooms and daycares, and it tends to show up at the worst possible time. The good news is that you may not need to sit in a walk-in clinic to get it looked at.

Can a pharmacist assess pink eye?

Yes. Pink eye is one of the minor ailments Ontario pharmacists can assess and treat. With Pharmly, you answer a short online questionnaire about your child's symptoms - which eye, what the discharge looks like, whether it itches, and whether anyone else at home has it. A licensed Ontario pharmacist reviews it and follows up within 24 business hours (our average is about 5 minutes).

Pink eye can be viral, bacterial or allergic, and they are not all treated the same way. If a prescription is appropriate, the pharmacist can send it to the pharmacy you choose. A prescription is never guaranteed - viral pink eye often clears on its own, and the right answer may be self-care or an over-the-counter option.

Can my child go back to school?

Return-to-school rules vary between school boards, daycares and public health units. Check your school's or daycare's policy, and ask the pharmacist about good hygiene at home: frequent handwashing, separate towels and pillowcases, and no sharing of eye makeup or face cloths.

Is it free?

The assessment is free with a valid Ontario health card, or a flat $30 without one. Any medication prescribed is billed at its usual price, and drug plans may cover it.

When to see a doctor instead

Get in-person care right away - or call 911 or go to an emergency department - if your child has eye pain, changes in vision, strong sensitivity to light, swelling or redness around the eye and eyelid, a fever, or an eye injury. Babies in their first weeks of life with red or sticky eyes should always be seen by a doctor. Contact lens wearers with a red, painful eye should also be seen promptly.

How to start

Head to the pink eye assessment, answer a few questions, and a pharmacist will take it from there. Dealing with something else? Browse all the conditions we assess.