Bites & parasites
Pediculosis (head lice)
A lice note from school lands and suddenly every itch in the house feels suspicious. Before you treat the whole family on a guess, a Murray Shore pharmacist in North York can assess under Ontario's minor ailment program, help confirm live lice versus old nits or plain dandruff, and map out who actually needs treatment and who just needs checking.
Common signs
- Intense scalp itching, especially behind the ears and at the neckline
- A crawling or tickling feeling on the scalp
- Tiny greyish-white eggs (nits) glued firmly to hair shafts close to the scalp
- Live lice spotted when combing wet hair with a fine-tooth comb
- Small red bumps or scratch marks on the scalp and neck
See a doctor instead if
- Scalp sores that are oozing, crusted, or spreading, suggesting bacterial infection from scratching
- Swollen, tender lymph nodes at the neck with scalp infection
- Treatment failure after two properly applied courses, which may mean resistant lice
- Lice or nits in the eyebrows or eyelashes, which need physician care
- An infant under the recommended age for pediculicide products
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 confirms the evidence of active infestation, since nits alone more than a centimetre from the scalp often mean an old, finished case, and reviews everyone in the household. A pediculicide may be prescribed where appropriate for those who need it, and you leave with a concrete plan: how to apply it, the essential repeat application about a week later, wet combing checks, and what actually needs washing at home. OHIP covers the assessment.
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.
My child has nits but I cannot find any live lice. Do we still treat?
Not necessarily. Nits glued more than about a centimetre from the scalp are usually hatched or dead, leftovers of an old case. The pharmacist helps you judge whether the infestation is active before anyone gets treated.
Do we need to treat the whole family?
Only those with live lice. Everyone who shares a bed or close contact should be checked with a fine-tooth comb on wet hair, and the pharmacist will show you the technique, but blanket-treating the household is not recommended.
Why is the second treatment a week later so important?
Most products do not reliably kill eggs, so lice that hatch after the first application survive unless a second round catches them. Skipping it is the single most common reason lice come back.
Do I have to bag every stuffed animal and fumigate the house?
No. Lice survive barely a day or two off a human head. Washing bedding, hats, and recently used items in hot water and drying on high heat covers it. The pharmacist gives you the short, realistic list.
Can my kids go back to school right away?
Most Toronto-area schools allow return once treatment has started, and current guidance does not support keeping treated children home. We can note the date treatment began if the school asks.
What should I bring to the assessment?
Bring your child, their health card, and any lice products you have already used, including the dates you applied them. If you found something on the comb, taping it to a piece of paper and bringing it along genuinely helps.
Do we need an appointment?
No, same-day walk-ins are how most lice visits happen, since families want this settled before the next school day. If you want to confirm a pharmacist is available, call 416-789-1800 first.
Is the assessment covered by OHIP?
Yes, with each person's valid Ontario health card the assessment is covered. Any treatment products are a separate purchase.
Can adults get head lice too?
Yes, though children spread it most because of head-to-head play. Adults who share a bed or pillow with an affected child should be checked with the same wet-combing method, and the pharmacist shows you how.
Does getting lice mean our home is not clean?
Not at all. Lice spread through direct head-to-head contact and do not care how clean a home or a head is. It is one of the most common childhood conditions in Canada, and the Canadian Paediatric Society's Caring for Kids guide is a good reassurance read.
How do we prevent the next round from school?
Teach kids to avoid head-to-head contact during play, keep long hair tied back, and skip sharing hats, brushes, and headphones. A quick wet-comb check once a week during a school outbreak catches new cases before they establish.
My child's scalp is still flaky after treatment. Is that lice?
Not necessarily. Flakes that brush away easily are usually dandruff or dry scalp, while nits are glued to the hair shaft and do not flick off. If flaking persists, that is its own assessable condition; see our dandruff page.
Sources & further reading
Numbered references, linked from the sections above.
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416-789-1800 Call nowPrefer not to call? Email info@murrayshore.com or visit us at Bathurst & Baycrest.