Province to Allow Additional Vaccinations and Treatment for More Common Ailments Starting July 2026
TORONTO — Ontario is broadening the scope of practice for pharmacists and several other regulated health professionals in a move the provincial government says will improve access to care, reduce wait times and relieve pressure on the health-care system.
The expansion, announced Sunday by the Ministry of Health, will allow pharmacists to administer six additional publicly funded vaccines and assess and prescribe treatment for nine more common ailments beginning in July 2026.
The changes form part of the province’s broader health-care strategy aimed at delivering more convenient and connected care closer to home while making greater use of health professionals’ training and expertise.
“Our government is delivering on our plan to make it more convenient for people to access the care they need, closer to home,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “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”.
Pharmacists to Deliver More Vaccines Across Ontario
Under the expanded rules, pharmacists will be permitted to administer publicly funded vaccines for tetanus, pertussis, diphtheria, pneumococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and shingles.
Currently, patients typically receive these vaccines through physicians’ offices, walk-in clinics or other clinical settings. The government said shifting vaccine delivery into pharmacies will significantly increase the number of locations where Ontarians can access immunizations.
Qualified pharmacy technicians and staff will also be permitted to administer eligible vaccines under the new framework.
The province said the change is expected to improve access in rural, northern and underserved communities where residents may face longer wait times or limited access to primary care providers.
Nine Additional Common Ailments Added
Expanded Prescribing Authority Builds on Existing Program
Ontario will also allow pharmacists and other qualified health-care practitioners to assess and prescribe treatment for nine additional common ailments beginning next summer.
The new ailments include:
- Calluses and corns
- Dandruff
- Dry eye
- Head lice
- Jock itch
- Mild headache
- Nasal congestion
- Ringworm
- Warts
The province said it plans to add up to five more ailments in early 2027, increasing the total number covered under the program to 33.
Ontario first introduced pharmacist prescribing for common ailments in January 2023 with 13 conditions before expanding the list later that year. According to the government, pharmacies across Ontario have since provided more than 2.4 million assessments for the initial 19 ailments.
More than 99 per cent of Ontario pharmacies now participate in the program, the Ministry of Health said.
Broader Scope Expansions Planned for Other Health Professionals
The government also confirmed it has directed several regulatory colleges to begin developing frameworks for broader scope-of-practice expansions across additional health professions.
Those professions include optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, dental hygienists, denturists, audiologists and speech-language pathologists.
Officials said the future changes are intended to improve system capacity by enabling health professionals to perform more procedures and deliver additional treatments independently.
The province said these measures could help reduce demand on emergency departments and primary care clinics while improving timely access to services across Ontario.
Ontario noted that it is not proceeding with proposed scope expansions involving psychologists at this time because of an ongoing governance review involving the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario.
Pharmacy and Health-Care Groups Welcome Announcement
Industry and professional organizations broadly welcomed the announcement, describing the changes as a practical step toward improving patient access and modernizing Ontario’s health-care system.
“Pharmacists play a critical role in improving access to timely, high-quality health care across Ontario, and expanded scope enables them to meet patients where and when care is needed most. At the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, we are training practice ready pharmacists—through innovation, hands on learning and an accelerated, three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program—to fully deliver on this expanded role. Today’s announcement strengthens our health system by ensuring Ontarians benefit from a workforce prepared to provide care now and into the future.”
- Dr. Lisa Dolovich, Dean, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
“The Ontario Pharmacists Association welcomes the Ontario government’s ongoing efforts to expand the scope of practice for pharmacy professionals. Building on the strong foundation of community pharmacy, these changes will enable pharmacists to treat more minor ailments and deliver a broader range of routine vaccines—making it easier for patients to access care close to home. Pharmacy professionals remain one of the most accessible points of care, and this expansion is a practical step forward. We look forward to continuing to work with the province to improve access to care for Ontarians.”
- Justin Bates, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Pharmacists Association
“We applaud the Ontario government’s continued leadership in improving access to care for patients across the province. Ontarians have consistently told us they value the accessible and trusted care they receive from their community pharmacies and want pharmacy teams to play a greater role in delivering health care closer to home. Expanding access to minor ailments assessments and publicly funded vaccines through pharmacies will help improve timely access to care in communities across Ontario. These important enhancements will help strengthen the health-care system and help Ontarians access the care they need, when and where they need it most.”
- Sandra Hanna, Chief Executive Officer, Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada
Health-Care Modernization Strategy Continues
The province said the latest measures are part of its “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care” initiative, which aims to modernize the health-care system by increasing access points for patients and expanding the responsibilities of regulated professionals.
Ontario has already introduced regulatory changes allowing pharmacists to administer certain injection and inhalation treatments and conduct point-of-care testing for chronic disease management, including glucose, HbA1c, lipid and PT/INR testing.
Government officials said the latest scope expansions are intended to further streamline care delivery and help Ontarians receive treatment more quickly and conveniently in their communities.