Minor Ailments
Minors Ailments
Ontario pharmacists are authorized to prescribe medications for 19 minor ailments,
Read below to see which minor illnesses or conditions your Pharmacist can assess and write you a prescription
- Allergies – Stuffy nose (Allergic Rhinitis):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Stuffy nose or runny nose.
- Itchy nose, eye, or throat.
- Typically, more than 7 days of continuous symptoms.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Frequent urination, pain while urinating and difficulty holding in urine
- Pain in lower abdomen and a small amount of blood in the urine
- Absence of vaginal discharge
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Pharmacists may only assess and prescribe for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) and must follow clinical guidelines when providing minor ailment services. Some factors that may be considered complicated under the applicable guidelines and require referral to a physician or a nurse practitioner include pregnancy, immunocompromised patients, relapse of UTI within 4 weeks of previous episode, and individuals assigned male at birth.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Frequent urination, pain while urinating and difficulty holding in urine
- Pain in lower abdomen and a small amount of blood in the urine
- Absence of vaginal discharge
- Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Pharmacists may only assess and prescribe for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) and must follow clinical guidelines when providing minor ailment services. Some factors that may be considered complicated under the applicable guidelines and require referral to a physician or a nurse practitioner include pregnancy, immunocompromised patients, relapse of UTI within 4 weeks of previous episode, and individuals assigned male at birth.
- Canker sores (Oral Aphthous Ulcer):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Painful and shallow White- or cream-coloured ulcers with a raised red border that are round or oval.
- Presence of ulcers inside cheeks, lips, sides of tongue, roof, and floor of the mouth.
- Less than 1cm in diameter.
- Cold Sores (Oral Herpes Labialis):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Rash or bump around border of the lip
- Presence of clear, sticky fluid around the rash
- Itching, tingling, or burning before appearance of the rash
- Redness or inflamed skin around the rash
- Oral Fungal Infection (Oral Thrush):
- White or creamy-white spots / patches on the lips, inside of mouth, tongue, and / or the roof of the mouth
- Cottage cheese-like appearance
- Patches can be scraped off
- Dry mouth and / or loss of taste
- Diaper Rash (Diaper Dermatitis):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Rashes and redness around the diaper area of babies and toddlers for more than 3 days.
- Pain and crying while urinating, diaper changes and during defecating.
- Can affect the sleep pattern.
- Tick Bites (Prevention of Lyme Disease):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Tick bite by black-legged tick.
- A red lump present, but swelling, blistering, bruising, itching or other infections may develop.
- Mild allergic reaction (hives, rash, and light swelling at the bite site)
- Allergies – Stuffy nose (Allergic Rhinitis):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Stuffy nose or runny nose.
- Itchy nose, eye, or throat.
- Typically, more than 7 days of continuous symptoms.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Pain and cramps in the lower abdominal area
- Pain in the lower back and starting a few hours before onset of a period
- Pain can last a few hours to days.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Itching, burning, or swelling (with or without pain) around the anal / rectum area.
- Bright red blood during / after bowel movement.
- Constipation and difficulty in having a bowel movement.
- Presence of a lump in the anal / rectum area.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Detection of worms in stool or near anus.
- Anal itching, especially at night.
- Restless sleep.
- There may be itching in your vaginal area if adult worms move there.
- Feeling irritable and having trouble concentrating.
- Abdominal pain that comes and goes
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Burping / stomach acid rise from the stomach into the mouth.
- Burning feeling in the stomach or lower chest rising to the neck.
- Trouble getting a good night’s sleep because of heartburn.
- Pain in the middle of the upper stomach area.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Pain and cramps in the lower abdominal area.
- Pain in the lower back and starting a few hours before onset of a period.
- Pain can last a few hours to days.
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Pain, swelling, or tenderness (light to medium).
- Redness or bruising.
- Limited motion and muscle weakness.
- Injury is associated with overworking or muscle / joint injury.
- Skin Rash (Dermatitis):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Dry, red, and itchy skin
- Cracked and oozed blisters
- Darker or lighter patches of skin
- Scaly and patchy skin
- Skin Infection (Impetigo):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Bump those changes into a blister surrounded by rash
- Yellow discharge that dries to form a “golden” or “honey-colored” crust
- Can affect face, arms, or legs
- insect Bites and Itch:
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Small bump or blister.
- May feel pain, itching, redness, or swelling.
- Feeling of a sharp burning pain which can sting
you may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Thick, white, odor-free vaginal discharge with a cottage cheese appearance
- Itching, burning and pain during urination and/or sexual intercourse
- Rash and redness of vaginal area
- Morning Sickness (Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy):
You may experience some of the symptoms below:
- Nausea or vomiting at any time of the day due to pregnancy.
- Not able to keep food or drink down for more than 12 hours.