Minor Ailments
Your pharmacist can prescribe for this — no doctor, no appointment
In British Columbia, pharmacists can assess and prescribe for 21 minor ailments, plus contraception. That means no walk-in clinic and no waiting room. Walk in and ask for a pharmacist, or call us on 604-988-5271.
What we can assess and prescribe for
If what you have is on this list, a pharmacist here can assess it and, where appropriate, write you a prescription in the same visit. Please bring a list of any medicines you already take.
Skin, hair and nails
- Mild acne
- Eczema and dermatitis, including contact and diaper rash
- Impetigo
- Fungal skin infections — athlete's foot, ringworm, jock itch
- Fungal nail infections
- Shingles
Eyes and mouth
- Conjunctivitis — pink eye
- Cold sores
- Mouth ulcers and canker sores
- Oral thrush
Stomach and digestion
- Indigestion
- Acid reflux and heartburn
- Haemorrhoids
- Pinworms and threadworms
Urinary and reproductive health
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections
- Vaginal yeast infections
- Period pain
- Contraception — assessment and prescribing, including the pill and emergency contraception
Allergies, bites and everyday pain
- Hay fever and seasonal allergies
- Hives, including reactions to insect bites and stings
- Tension headache
- Mild muscle and joint pain, sprains and strains
Quitting smoking
- A pharmacist can assess you and prescribe treatment to help you stop smoking, and talk through which approach suits you
How it works
1. Come in and ask. No appointment needed. Ask at the counter for a minor ailment assessment. If you would rather check first, call us on 604-988-5271.
2. Talk it through in private. A pharmacist will ask about your symptoms, your health history, and anything else you take. This is a real clinical assessment, in a private consultation area.
3. Leave with what you need. If a prescription is appropriate, the pharmacist writes it and we dispense it there and then. If it is not, they will tell you plainly and point you to who can help.
When a pharmacist will send you elsewhere
A pharmacist may decide your symptoms need a doctor instead. That is part of the assessment, not a failure of it — some conditions look minor and are not, and knowing the difference is the job.
If you are seriously unwell, call 911. For health advice at any hour, HealthLink BC is free on 811.
Not sure whether to come in?
Our Health Assistant can talk through your symptoms with you first, any time of day, and tell you whether it is something a pharmacist here can deal with. It will never tell you what you have or how much of anything to take — that is what the pharmacist is for.