Skin conditions
Dermatitis (diaper)
When a diaper rash will not settle, parents want answers without waiting days for a clinic appointment. A pharmacist at Murray Shore Pharmacy on Bathurst Street can assess your baby's rash under Ontario's minor ailment program, tell a simple irritation apart from a yeast overgrowth, and get you on the right track before the next diaper change.
Common signs
- Red, shiny, or chafed skin in the diaper area
- Patchy irritation over the buttocks, thighs, or genitals where the diaper rubs
- A baby who cries or squirms during diaper changes
- Beefy-red colour with small spots at the edges, which suggests a yeast component
- Skin that looks worse in the folds versus spared in the folds, a clue we use to tell rash types apart
See a doctor instead if
- Fever alongside the rash, or a baby who seems unwell or unusually sleepy
- Blisters, open sores, pus, or bleeding in the diaper area
- Rash spreading well beyond the diaper zone
- No improvement after a week of proper barrier care
- A newborn under a few weeks old with any significant rash
Any of these sound like you? Call 416-789-1800 and we will point you the right way — or reach Health811 (opens in a new tab) by calling 811.
How the assessment works
The pharmacist looks at the rash, asks about diaper habits, wipes, recent antibiotics, and stool changes, and distinguishes ordinary irritant dermatitis from candidal involvement, which looks and behaves differently. You get practical barrier-care coaching, and a topical treatment may be prescribed where appropriate. The visit is OHIP covered; anything beyond a minor ailment gets referred to your child's doctor.
Source 1Three ways to get started. Do it all from home, or come in.
Start online from your phone, call us, or walk in and ask for the pharmacist. No appointment is needed. When you start online, a pharmacist calls or messages you back to finish the assessment. Prefer email? Write to us.
Frequently asked questions
Plain answers from the pharmacy team. Tap a question to open it.
How can you tell if it is yeast and not just a regular rash?
Candidal rashes tend to be a deeper red, sit in the skin folds, and show small satellite spots around the main patch. Irritant rashes usually spare the folds. The pharmacist checks for exactly these patterns during the assessment.
Do I need to bring my baby, or can I just describe the rash?
Please bring your baby. The assessment depends on actually seeing the rash, and a quick look in a private consultation area tells us far more than a description or photo.
Is there a cost for assessing my baby's rash?
No. With your child's OHIP card the minor ailment assessment is covered by the province.
The rash started after antibiotics. Is that connected?
It can be, since antibiotics change the balance of normal skin and gut organisms. Mention any recent medications during the visit; it directly affects what the pharmacist looks for.
What can I do between now and the visit?
Change diapers frequently, rinse gently with warm water instead of scrubbing, let the skin air-dry, and give some diaper-free time. Bring the products you have been using so we can review them together.
Do I need an appointment to have my baby seen?
No, you can walk in to 3537 Bathurst Street during pharmacy hours. If you want to be sure a pharmacist is free when you arrive, call 416-789-1800 and we will suggest the best time.
What should I bring to the visit?
Your baby, their Ontario health card, and a note of any recent medications, including antibiotics. If you use a particular brand of diapers or wipes, knowing the names helps the pharmacist spot common irritants.
Is diaper rash ever a sign of something else?
Occasionally a rash in the diaper area is eczema or another skin condition rather than classic diaper rash. Rashes that do not follow the usual patterns are referred, and eczema itself is a separate condition a pharmacist can assess; see our eczema and dermatitis page.
How do I prevent the rash from coming back?
The basics do most of the work: frequent changes, gentle cleaning, thorough drying, a barrier product at every change, and regular diaper-free time. The Canadian Paediatric Society's Caring for Kids guide to diaper rash is a reliable reference between visits.
Can toddlers be assessed too, or only babies?
Any child in diapers can be assessed, including toddlers and children who wear pull-ups at night. The same OHIP coverage applies with the child's health card.
What if the rash needs more than a pharmacist can provide?
Then we say so promptly and point you to your child's doctor, with a summary of what we observed. Rashes with fever, blisters, open sores, or no improvement after proper care are exactly the cases we refer.
Sources & further reading
Numbered references, linked from the sections above.
Your pharmacist is one call away.
416-789-1800 Call nowPrefer not to call? Email info@murrayshore.com or visit us at Bathurst & Baycrest.