Skin conditions
Impetigo
Impetigo spreads fast through households, daycares, and classrooms, so the useful response is a quick one. A pharmacist at Murray Shore Pharmacy in North York can assess impetigo the same day, prescribe where appropriate, and walk you through stopping the spread at home, all under OHIP.
Common signs
- Sores with a honey-coloured or golden crust, classically around the nose and mouth
- Red spots that blister, ooze, and then crust over
- Itchy patches a child keeps scratching, spreading new spots nearby
- New sores appearing on other family members within days
- Sores emerging where skin was already broken: a scrape, bite, or eczema patch
See a doctor instead if
- Fever or a child who seems unwell beyond the skin sores
- Sores that are deep, painful, or spreading rapidly across the body
- Impetigo in a newborn
- Redness and swelling extending well beyond the sores themselves
- Repeated episodes, which need a physician to look for the source
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 examines the sores, asks how they started and who else at home or school has them, and distinguishes impetigo from look-alikes such as cold sores and eczema flares. For limited, uncomplicated impetigo, a topical antibacterial may be prescribed where appropriate; widespread sores, fever, or a very young infant mean a physician instead. The visit ends with the practical part: towels, bedding, nail-trimming, and how long until daycare or school is reasonable.
Sources 1, 2Three 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.
Can my son go to daycare while he has impetigo?
Not until treatment is underway and the sores are covered or crusting is resolving; impetigo is contagious enough that daycares typically insist. The pharmacist gives you a specific answer based on your child's sores at the assessment, which you can pass to the daycare.
How do I keep this from spreading through the whole house?
Separate towels and facecloths, hot-wash bedding, trim and scrub fingernails, and cover the sores where practical. Hand-washing after any contact with the sores matters most of all. We go through the full routine at the visit, matched to your household.
How can I tell impetigo from a cold sore on my child's face?
Cold sores start as small blisters at the lip border and tend to recur in the same spot; impetigo forms honey-coloured crusts, spreads outward, and pops up in new places. When the picture is ambiguous, that is exactly what the in-person assessment is for.
Will my child need antibiotics by mouth?
Limited impetigo is generally managed topically, and a topical antibacterial may be prescribed where appropriate at the assessment. If the sores are widespread or your child is feverish, oral treatment is a physician's decision, so we refer rather than stretch the program past its limits.
Two of my kids have sores now. Is one assessment enough?
Each child needs their own assessment, since age, sore pattern, and eligibility are individual, but we can do them back to back in one visit. Bring both health cards and, if you can, note who developed sores first.
Is the impetigo assessment covered by OHIP?
Yes. Bring the child's Ontario health card, or your own if the patient is an adult; the assessment is billed to OHIP. Prescribed treatment goes through your drug plan or is paid out of pocket.
Can adults get impetigo?
Yes, though children get it far more often, and close contact with an infected child is a common route. Adults are assessed the same way, and the household hygiene routine matters just as much either way.
Do we need an appointment?
No. Walk in to 3537 Bathurst Street, or call 416-789-1800 first if you would like the private consultation room ready when you arrive.
What should I bring to the assessment?
The health card of whoever has the sores, their medication list and allergies, and a note of when the sores appeared and where they started. The pharmacist looks at the sores directly during the assessment.
How quickly should impetigo improve, and what follow-up is there?
Sores should stop spreading and start settling within a few days of starting treatment. If new sores keep appearing, fever develops, or the skin around a sore turns red and painful, contact us or your physician promptly.
Why does impetigo keep showing up after bug-bite season?
Because impetigo often starts where scratched skin breaks open, and insect bites are the classic starting point. Keeping bites clean, trimming nails, and calming the itch early removes the opening the bacteria need.
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.