It’s a familiar scene: a parent rushes in with a feverish child, or an adult arrives exhausted, clutching a sore throat. They’ve been unwell for days and quick care feels out of reach.
Now imagine assessing and treating them within minutes - no doctor’s requisition needed. That’s what some Ontario pharmacists are doing today through MedEssist’s Access to Care (ATC) program.
Bacterial pharyngitis, or strep throat, is common and easy to treat. Yet delays often lead to days of discomfort, missed school or work – and potentially serious complications such as rheumatic fever, kidney inflammation, or abscesses.1,2
Group A Streptococcus (GAS) causes up to 30% of sore throats in children and 15% in adults.¹ But with 1 in 5 Canadians lacking a family doctor, and rural communities facing fewer walk-in options, longer ER waits, and staffing shortages, timely care poses a challenge.³ That’s where pharmacists can step in.
Pharmacists are accessible, trusted, and trained to deliver frontline care. Access To Care strengthens this role by providing the tools and oversight to manage conditions like strep throat in real time. With rapid tests, pharmacists can confirm strep on the spot and act immediately – whether that means dispensing antibiotics under ATC’s medical directive, offering symptom relief, or referring patients when complications are likely.
At-risk groups: Children 5–15 years, especially in schools or daycares, and anyone in close contact with an infected person.2
Common symptoms: Sudden sore throat, fever, red/swollen tonsils with patches, tender neck glands, tiny red spots on the roof of the mouth. Symptoms peak in 3–5 days and usually resolve by day 10.2
Rare complications: Rheumatic fever (mainly in children 3–15) may appear 1–5 weeks later. Watch for fever, joint pain, chest pain, rash, or jerky movements.3,4
Viral: Cough, runny nose, hoarse voice, red/watery eyes
Bacterial: High fever, severe throat pain, swollen neck glands, no cough/runny nose
Fungal: White plaques or red patches (especially immunocompromised patients), sometimes with mouth pain, loss of taste, or cracked lip corners.1
Clinical tip: No runny nose or cough? It might look like strep, but testing is the only way to know for sure.2
Once strep is confirmed, treatment is targeted:
Clinical tip: Broader antibiotics don’t improve outcomes and can increase resistance. Completing the full course prevents relapse – even if symptoms improve early.
Millions of Canadians face barriers to timely care, especially in rural areas. Launched in April 2024, the Access to Care (ATC) program brings assessment and treatment directly into the pharmacy. Under medical directives in collaboration with authorized prescribers (MDs/NPs), pharmacists can test and treat common infections like strep throat and shingles in Ontario and select U.S. regions.
How it works:
Find an ATC Pharmacy near me → https://communitypharmacyclinics.com/
Access To Care gives pharmacists a safe, compliant framework and the confidence to provide same-visit care.
In just two months, Ontario pharmacists completed 63 ATC strep assessments, its uptake highlighting how quickly the service is helping patients.
“The customers were very appreciative last night [...] the service saved them from having to wait 12 hours or more in the ER.” - Sally’s Pharmasave, Ontario, October 2025
Pharmacies aren’t just filling prescriptions - they’re closing critical gaps in Canada’s healthcare system, one swab at a time.
Join the growing network of pharmacies offering same-visit strep testing and treatment through ATC → [Link]
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