Pharmacy Professionals > Scope of Practice > Expanding Scope of Practice

Expanding Scope of Practice

Page updated: March 25, 2026

At this time there is no change to the scope of practice for pharmacists or pharmacy technicians.

Background

Following recent expansions to the scope of practice for pharmacy professionals in Ontario, the Ministry of Health has announced a series of proposed changes that would expand scopes of practice for a number of healthcare professionals. As part of these changes, the Minister asked the College to draft enabling regulations that would:

  • authorize pharmacists to assess and prescribe for 14 additional minor ailments including:
    1. sore throat (acute pharyngitis)
    2. calluses and corns
    3. headache (mild)
    4. shingles (herpes zoster)
    5. acute insomnia
    6. fungal nail infections (onychomycosis)
    7. swimmers’ ear (otitis externa)
    8. head lice (pediculosis)
    9. nasal congestion (viral rhinitis, rhinosinusitis)
    10. dandruff (seborrheic dermatitis)
    11. ringworm (tinea corporis)
    12. jock itch (tinea cruris)
    13. warts (verrucae – vulgaris, plantar; excluding face and genitals)
    14. dry eye (xeropthalmia, dry eye disease)
  • authorize pharmacists to administer injectable partial opioid agonists and antagonists (specifically, buprenorphine)
  • enable pharmacists to provide additional routinely administered vaccines not currently listed in Schedule 3 of General Regulation 256/24 under the Pharmacy Act, 1991.
  • enable pharmacy technicians to administer all vaccines listed in Schedule 3 of General Regulation 256/24 under the Pharmacy Act, 1991.

The Ministry of Health also asked the College to collect feedback and provide recommendations on potential laboratory tests and point-of-care tests to support minor ailments assessments. The consultation is limited to tests relevant to the 14 proposed minor ailments included in the proposed regulations. These recommendations will be provided to the Ministry of Health as they consider future changes to regulations under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act, 1990 to authorize pharmacy professionals to conduct these activities to support the minor ailments program.

Progress & Status

  • September 26 to November 24, 2025
    • The College posted draft regulatory amendments on its website and invited registrants, members of the public, and system partners to share their feedback on the proposed scope of practice changes during a 60-day public consultation
  • December 8, 2025
    • The Board approved regulatory amendments to expand the scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. These regulations were submitted to the Minister of Health on December 10, 2025
    • The Board approved, for open consultation, mandatory safeguards to support the safe implementation of expanded scope activities, including:
      • A requirement that all pharmacy technicians administering injections complete and maintain up-to-date CPR and First Aid training. The feedback from the 60-day public consultation, to begin in January 2026, will be shared with the Board to inform final approval of this mandatory requirement at the March 2026 Board meeting.
      • A list of expanded scope activities for which mandatory learning should be required, including acute pharyngitis (sore throat), otitis externa (swimmer’s ear), herpes zoster (shingles), and administration of Sublocade. The Board directed staff to move forward with validating learning objectives for the mandatory learning and updating policy with the intention of bringing these back for final approval at the March 2026 Board meeting.
      • A review of the Standards of Operation for Pharmacies to examine proposed changes in response to:
        i) practice environment concerns and ability to strengthen accountability of those who own/operate pharmacies;
        ii) required access to fundamental patient information to support decision making in expanded scope; and
        iii) recommended requirements related to physical space in the pharmacy that promotes privacy and dignity in delivery of patient care as scope expands.
  • March 23, 2026
    • The Board approved the following two items:
      • Mandatory CPR and First Aid Training for pharmacy technicians
        After reviewing feedback from a 60-day public consultation on proposed mandatory CPR and first aid training for pharmacy technicians who are administering injectable drugs and substances, the Board approved a revised Administering a Substance by Injection Guideline and a Declaration of Completion of Injection Training statement for pharmacy technicians. This requirement will only be mandatory for pharmacy technicians who are administering injections – those who are not engaged in administering injections would not be required to obtain CPR and first aid certification. This mirrors the current requirements for pharmacists and comes into effect subject to the government’s approval of proposed expanded scope activities that would authorize pharmacy technicians (including intern technicians) to administer all vaccines listed in Schedule 3 of Ontario Regulation 256/24, under the Pharmacy Act, 1991.
      • Mandatory learning for three proposed minor ailments
        To ensure that an appropriate level of practice competence exists among pharmacists engaging in certain proposed expanded scope activities, the Board approved draft mandatory learning requirements for the assessment and treatment of acute pharyngitis, otitis externa, and herpes zoster, as well as for the administration of Sublocade. The proposed requirements are outlined in draft guidelines and guidance and will be shared as part of a public consultation before being brought back to the Board for final approval at an upcoming meeting. The consultation will seek feedback on the required learning for specified activities, as well as the mechanism to be used to demonstrate that these requirements have been met prior to engaging in the specified expanded scope activity.

At this time there is no change to the scope of practice for pharmacists or pharmacy technicians.

Ongoing updates will be provided on this webpage, and key information will be shared in e-Connect and on official OCP communication channels.

Useful Resources

FAQs

  • The College is working with the Ministry of Health and system partners to determine an appropriate implementation date, ensuring that the expansion of scope activities can occur safely and that any necessary safeguards are implemented. Currently there is no change to the existing scope of practice for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.

  • The Minister of Health requested a recommendation from the College in 2023 for additional minor ailments that pharmacists can assess and prescribe for. A list of minor ailments was developed by the College, informed by an expert advisory group, and submitted to the Minister of Health for consideration. In September 2025, the Ministry of Health officially requested that additional minor ailments be added to the scope of pharmacy practice.

  • At this time, the Ministry of Health has not moved forward with communicating a diagnosis as a proposed expanded scope activity for pharmacists. The College continues to share with the Ministry of Health the importance of pharmacists having the authority to communicate a diagnosis as scope of practice expands.

  • Taking on additional scope of practice activities is a choice, not a requirement. Having the legislative authority to prescribe for minor ailments does not mean all pharmacists must offer to provide this service. If a pharmacist does choose to take on new expanded scope activities, assessing and optimizing their pharmacy’s workflow and the role/responsibilities of other staff (e.g., pharmacy technicians, pharmacy assistants) can help pharmacists focus on clinical patient care. 

  • Expanded scope was introduced by the provincial government to provide long-term support to Ontario’s healthcare system. The provincial government has the power to amend existing laws and the Minister of Health directed the College to draft amended regulations under the Pharmacy Act to expand pharmacy professionals’ scope of practice. The College is responsible for ensuring any changes to pharmacy professionals’ scope of practice are implemented safely.

    Providing these proposed additional services is a choice, not a requirement. Each pharmacy professional – pharmacists and pharmacy technicians – practices with professional autonomy.

    Designated Managers must determine whether the pharmacy has the capacity to meet the Standards of Operations for Pharmacies to support safe patient care. One of the standards in the Standards of Operation for Pharmacies is: “The pharmacy has an adequate number of qualified and trained staff to maintain the accepted standards of professional practice, and to deliver safe and effective patient care.”

    The College’s Board of Directors supports progress on addressing business pressures while also responding to government direction regarding expanded scope. The College’s continued work on addressing business pressures can be found on our Business Pressures in Pharmacy Practice webpage.

  • Yes. At its December 8, 2025 meeting, the OCP Board determined that, once in effect, the following expanded scope activities require mandatory learning to support safe patient care. Mandatory learning is only required if a pharmacy professional chooses to provide any of the services below.

    For pharmacists:  

    • Assessing and prescribing for sore throat (acute pharyngitis)
    • Assessing and prescribing for shingles (herpes zoster)
    • Assessing and prescribing for swimmers’ ear (otitis externa) 
    • Providing injectable partial opioid agonists and antagonists (specifically, buprenorphine)

    Learning requirements for the above activities were presented to the Board at their March 2026 meeting. The Board-approved learning requirements will be publicly consulted on in spring 2026.

    For pharmacy technicians:

    • Administering vaccines listed in Schedule 3 of Ontario Regulation 256/24 under the Pharmacy Act, 1991.

    Requiring pharmacy technicians to complete and maintain up-to-date CPR and First Aid training standardizes expectations among pharmacy professionals who are administering injections.

  • The OCP Board determined that mandatory learning for certain expanded scope activities will help ensure a consistent level of knowledge, skills and abilities among pharmacy professionals. The scope activities that require mandatory learning may pose a higher risk to the public if not managed appropriately.

    Pharmacy professionals who choose to provide any services that require mandatory learning will be required to complete a Declaration of Completion of Learning to indicate they have the knowledge and skills to safely deliver these services.

  • The College’s role is to ensure that Ontarians receive safe pharmacy care from qualified pharmacy professionals.

    The College’s mandate – which is set out in law – requires the College to meet the “objects” set out in section 3 of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991. The College has no role in compensating pharmacy professionals. The provincial government funds Ontario’s public healthcare programs and pharmacy employers establish compensation for their employees.

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