When your health concern isn’t an emergency, it can be challenging to know where to go to get the medical care you and your loved ones need.
Consider your health situation, review our helpful When to Seek Care webpage, and review the options below to help you decide where to seek care and whether the Emergency Department is the right place to receive care based on the symptoms you are experiencing.
1) Contact your primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner).
2) Virtual Care– The East Region Virtual Care Clinic, serving eastern Ontario, can treat an array of non-emergency ailments, including urinary tract infections, ear pain, sore throat, skin problems, tick bites, stomach ache without fever, mild to moderate headaches, etc. Please visit their site for the complete list and descriptions of what they can or cannot treat and to make an appointment. Appointments are available seven days a week.
3) Other virtual options:
- CoverHealth
- TiaHealth.com
- Telus HealthMyCare
- AppleTreeMedicalGroup.com
- GoodDoctors.ca
- RocketDoctor.ca
- Virtual Health Clinic
4) Visit Health811 (formerly TeleHealth Ontario) - 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get health advice, help navigate health services, find information and speak to a nurse.
5) Visit one of the Local Walk-In, Virtual or Telemed Clinics
6) If you have an urgent medication refill, speak with your pharmacist. They can often provide short-term refills and other advice.
7) Visit a Local Pharmacy to receive prescriptions for 19 common ailments:
- Acid reflux (gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD))
- Acne
- Canker sores
- Cold sores (herpes labialis)
- Dermatitis (atopic, eczema, allergic and contact)
- Diaper rash
- Hay fever (allergic rhinitis)
- Hemorrhoids
- Impetigo
- Insect bites and hives
- Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea)
- Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy
- Oral thrush (candidal stomatitis)
- Parasitic worms (pinworms and threadworms)
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral)
- Sprains and strains (musculoskeletal)
- Tick bites (post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease)
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Yeast infections
8) 9-8-8 is a new national helpline for anyone across Canada who is thinking about suicide, or who is worried about someone they know. Call or text 9-8-8 toll-free, anytime for support in English and French.
9) If you don’t have a family doctor and would like to register for one - Health Care Connect.
10) For community supports and social services, call 2-1-1 or visit 211ontario.ca.