Your Minor Ailment Care Experience at Community Pharmacies

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) wants to hear about your experiences getting care for a minor ailment (e.g. urinary tract infection, cold sores, pink eye, acne, hay fever, etc.) at a Canadian pharmacy.

This project looks at how people are using pharmacy services for minor ailments, which have been available for a long time in Saskatchewan, but have only been introduced in British Columbia and Ontario, and publicly funded in Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador more recently.

Your input will help us understand why you chose the pharmacy, what your experience was like and whether your needs were fully met.

By sharing your perspective on things like access to care and services, quality of care, and any follow-up you needed, you can help identify what works well and where improvements are needed. Your voice will play an important role in shaping how these services are delivered in the future.

Selected participants will be invited to participate in a one-time 1-hr virtual interview (via phone or video).
To thank selected participants for their time, a token of appreciation in the form of an honoraria will be offered.

How can you get involved?
If you or someone you know is interested, please contact us at patientengagement@cihi.ca by July 10, 2026. Participation is voluntary.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of Consult on the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation.

Eligibility

• Specific health care experiences [details below]
• Have access to technology and the internet to participate in the engagement opportunity
• Comfortable using technology to attend online/virtual meetings
• An interest in improving health care services
• The time to participate in the engagement opportunity
• • You were 18 years or older when you used the pharmacy-based minor ailment service. • Received care at a community pharmacy for a minor ailment in the past 12 months, in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, or Newfoundland and Labrador. • You have access to the internet or a telephone to complete a 1-hour interview in July 2026. • You are comfortable with your story being publicly shared. Please note that your real name or photograph does not need to be shared.To help us with the screening and selection process, please include answers to the following questions in your response: • In the past 6 to 12 months, have you visited a community pharmacy for assessment and / or treatment for a minor ailment (e.g., allergies, skin condition, urinary tract infection, etc.)? ☐ Yes ☐ No• What type of minor ailment did you seek care for at the pharmacy? ☐ Allergies (hay fever) ☐ Skin condition or rash ☐ Eye condition (pink eye) ☐ Urinary tract infection ☐ Cold sores ☐ Other: ________________________________________________________________ • Did the pharmacist provide an assessment and / or treatment for your condition? ☐ Yes ☐ No • After your pharmacy visit, did you also seek care for the same issue from a family doctor, walk-in clinic, or emergency department within 30 days? ☐ Yes ☐ No • In which province did you receive this service? ☐ British Columbia ☐ Manitoba ☐ Newfoundland and Labrador ☐ Ontario ☐ Saskatchewan • What type of setting do you live in? ☐ Urban area ☐ Rural area • What is your age group? ☐ 18 to 29 ☐ 30 to 44 ☐ 45 to 64 ☐ 65 or older

Patient Partners ARE NOT required to be PVN members to participate in this engagement opportunity.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Patient Engagement Office CIHI Patient Engagement Office, Patient Engagement Office | CIHI (000) 000-0000 patientengagement@cihi.ca