Minor Ailments
Minor ailments are described as health conditions that can be managed with minimal treatment and/or self-care strategies. Additional criteria include:
- Usually a short-term condition
- Lab results aren’t usually required
- Low risk of treatment masking underlying conditions
- Medications and medical histories can reliably differentiate more serious conditions
- Only minimal or short-term follow-up is required
The proposed list of minor ailments that pharmacists may be authorized to treat was developed by the Minor Ailments Advisory Group (MAAG), comprising patient advisors as well as experts in pharmacy, medicine, public health, antimicrobial stewardship, and health systems research. The list of minor ailments and the approved American Hospital Formulary Service (AHFS) Pharmacologic-Therapeutic Classification system categories for treating each condition includes:
| CONDITION | AHFS CLASSIFICATION |
|---|---|
| 1. Urinary tract infection (uncomplicated) |
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| 2. Dermatitis (atopic/eczema, allergic and contact skin rashes) |
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| 3. Insect bites (including tick bites) and urticaria (hives) |
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| 4. Conjunctivitis (bacterial, allergic, viral) |
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| 5. Allergic rhinitis (nasal symptoms from allergies) |
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| 6. Candidal stomatitis (oral thrush) |
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| 7. Herpes labialis (cold sores) |
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| 8. Hemorrhoids |
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| 9. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) |
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| 10. Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) |
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| 11. Musculosketelal sprains and strains |
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| 12. Impetigo (bacterial skin infection common in children) |
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The draft regulations authorizing pharmacists to prescribe for minor ailments are pending government approval before coming into effect.
For registrants:
The College is committed to supporting the profession in implementing scope of practice changes safely and with confidence by providing the necessary guidance and tools. While prescribing for minor ailments has not yet been approved by government, the College is collaborating with stakeholders, including pharmacy associations, to develop supports to help registrants meet and apply the proposed regulatory requirements, and to describe a pharmacist’s professional and ethical responsibilities. The support material will be shared with registrants in the Resources for Pharmacy Professionals section, as well as linked from e-Connect and social media posts.