Saskatchewan Expands Pharmacist-Led Strep Throat and Ear Infection Care to Over 100 Pharmacies

The Government of Saskatchewan has expanded its pharmacist-led strep throat and ear infection services program to over 100 pharmacies, accepting all 55 locations that applied through the province's July intake. The expansion, announced September 11, 2026, builds on a pilot project that launched in January 2025 and has since delivered more than 11,000 services across the province.

Key takeaways

• All eligible pharmacies that applied in July have been accepted, adding 55 new locations to the strep throat and ear infection services program.
• By January 2027, the services will be available in 34 communities: 71 pharmacies offering both strep throat and ear services, and 31 offering ear services only.
• Saskatchewan has over 1,300 practising pharmacists across 428 licensed community pharmacies; in many communities, pharmacies are the primary -- or only -- access point for healthcare services.
• Funding for the program was built into the province's 2026-2029 Pharmacy Proprietor Agreement as part of approved scope-optimization investments.

What the service actually involves

At participating pharmacies, trained pharmacists assess patient symptoms, perform rapid testing for strep throat, and determine appropriate treatment -- including prescribing medication where indicated -- without requiring a separate physician visit. The province positions the program as part of its "Patients First" health care plan, aimed at improving access to care through community pharmacies rather than emergency departments or walk-in clinics.

Training for the September cohort of pharmacists took place in August, with pharmacists in newly added communities prioritized. A further training round is planned for December, ahead of the next wave of pharmacies joining in January 2027.

From pilot to province-wide program

Practice guidance for pharmacists

• Pharmacists outside Saskatchewan should check their own province's current scope of practice for point-of-care strep testing and ear infection assessment -- authority and funding models vary significantly by jurisdiction.
• Where this kind of service already exists, confirm your own training and certification are current, since Saskatchewan's program requires a specific training course before a pharmacist can bill for these assessments.
• Document assessment findings and treatment decisions as thoroughly as a physician referral would require, since these visits substitute for a primary-care encounter rather than supplementing one.
• Know your referral pathway back to a physician or walk-in clinic for a negative strep test or an ear exam that doesn't explain the presenting symptoms.
• If your jurisdiction is considering a similar expansion, Saskatchewan's phased approach -- an intake window, a training cohort, then a staged rollout -- may be a useful model to reference in conversations with regulators or health ministries.

What's next

Saskatchewan plans to keep expanding the program in phases, with the next training cohort scheduled for December 2026 ahead of a January 2027 intake. The Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy Professionals maintains a current list of participating pharmacies and the communities they serve.