Policy suggestions#
Practical, evidence-based policy changes that would meaningfully improve sexual-health care and other patient outcomes in Canada.
TeleTest sees patterns in the day-to-day friction patients face when accessing testing and treatment. This page records concrete policy suggestions we'd like to see acted on by provincial and federal health authorities. Most examples reference Ontario-specific systems (since that's where TeleTest started), but the underlying access barriers apply across provinces.
How can we improve STI access?#
Here's a list of some simple changes that would have a dramatic impact on STI care in Canada.
- Allow labs to carry Roche Cobas PCR Swabs, so men and women who are at higher risk who require anal and oral screening can self-swab. This eliminates the need for additional costs to provide basic STI screening.
- Allow labs to carry Copan Viral PCR swabs, so patients can self-swab suspected viral HSV outbreaks. HSV swab testing is time-sensitive, and if a 72 hour window is missed, it can result in a missed HSV diagnosis.
- Expand the scope of pharmacists to administer Ceftriaxone injections for confirmed cases of gonorrhea. Cefixime + azithromycin is 2nd line treatment and routinely provided because of access issues. This contributes to drug resistance and greater disease burden due to treatment failures.
- Expand the scope of pharmacists to administer Penicillin injections for confirmed cases of syphilis, or routinely supply this to walk-in clinics so they can administer treatment.
- Create a limited use code for doxycycline, azithromycin and cefixime so anyone with a prescription (even without ODSP in Ontario, or the equivalent program in other provinces) can access STI treatment for free without visiting an STI clinic.
Have a policy idea worth surfacing? Contact us →
Last reviewed: Spring 2026. Reviewed by Dr. Mohan Pandit, Chief Medical Officer at TeleTest. We review this page periodically as medical guidelines, lab practices, and provincial programs evolve. This page is for general information, not personal medical advice. If you've noticed information that may be out of date or have suggestions, please contact us - we appreciate the help keeping these resources accurate.