Pharmacy Professionals > Scope of Practice > Expanding Scope of Practice

Expanding Scope of Practice

Page updated November 14, 2025

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 has also asked the College to collect feedback and provide recommendations on potential laboratory tests and point-of-care tests (POCTs) 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 MOH as they consider future changes to regulations under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act (LSCCLA) to authorize pharmacy professionals to conduct these activities to support the minor ailments program.

Status

The College has posted the draft regulations and corresponding schedules on its website for a 60-day public consultation period following the Board’s approval of the draft regulation changes. The Board approved these changes during an in-camera discussion held at the conclusion of the public Board meeting on September 16th to respect a communication embargo at the Minister’s request which was in effect until September 17th.

Following the consultation, the Board will be presented with final regulation changes for approval at its December 8, 2025, public meeting and will submit the final regulations to the Minister by December 10, 2025. The College will bring to the Board additional details on proposed safeguards as expanded scope moves forward and will advise the Minister on an appropriate timeline to ensure a safe and effective implementation.

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.

  • 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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