Contraception & Birth Control
Start, switch or renew hormonal birth control without a long wait. A focused visit, a prescription you can fill at any pharmacy, and honest advice about what fits your life.
At a glance
- Visit fee
- $75
- Referral
- Not needed
- Prescriptions
- To any pharmacy
- Prescriber
- Registered Nurse, CNO-authorized
- Where
- Your home, Brooklin & Durham
Is this for you?
Good reasons to book.
- You want to start birth control and talk through the options.
- Your prescription has run out and you can’t get in to see your doctor.
- Side effects have you wondering about a switch.
- You have the contraceptive injection every 12 weeks and would rather not go out for it.
- You’d like emergency contraception on hand, just in case.
What to expect
Your visit, step by step.
Tell us what you need
A few questions about your health, your history with birth control and what matters to you — convenience, cycle control, hormones or no hormones.
A focused assessment
Blood pressure, a review of medications and health conditions, and a conversation about the options that suit you.
Your prescription
Sent to the pharmacy of your choice, with clear instructions on starting, missed doses and side effects to watch for.
A check-in when it counts
A short follow-up after a new start or switch, so small problems get sorted before they become reasons to stop.
Scope
What we can do here — and where we draw the line.
Everything in the first column is within what an Ontario RN prescriber may do. The second column is where we refer you on, without delay.
RN prescribing is regulated by the College of Nurses of Ontario. Any nurse’s prescribing authorization can be checked on the CNO’s public register, Find a Nurse.
Within our scope
- Assess whether hormonal contraception is right for you, including your blood pressure and health history.
- Prescribe combined and progestin-only pills, the vaginal ring and the contraceptive injection, and give you the injection at home.
- Renew an existing prescription and adjust the method when it isn’t working for you.
- Prescribe emergency contraception ahead of time, so you have it if you ever need it.
- Explain how your method works, what to expect, and when to check back in.
Outside our scope
- Need emergency contraception now? Don’t wait for a visit: it works best the sooner it’s taken. Levonorgestrel (Plan B) is sold without a prescription at any pharmacy, and a copper IUD placed by a physician or nurse practitioner is the most effective option.
- The contraceptive patch. Ontario’s regulation limits RN prescribers to hormonal contraceptives taken by mouth or by injection, plus vaginal ones like the ring. If the patch suits you best, we’ll point you to a prescriber who can provide it.
- IUDs (hormonal or copper) and contraceptive implants are outside RN prescribing. If one of those is the best fit, we’ll say so and help you find a provider who inserts them.
- We can’t order blood work or imaging. If something in your history calls for testing first, we’ll refer you rather than guess.
Emergencies — trouble breathing, chest pain, heavy bleeding, a severe allergic reaction — need 911 or the nearest emergency department, not an appointment.
Fees
What this costs.
RN prescriber visits are not OHIP-insured. The prescription itself is filled at your pharmacy and covered by your drug plan as usual.
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Initial visit $75
Up to 30 minutes. Assessment, prescription where appropriate, and a plan.
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Follow-up visit $45
Up to 15 minutes, for a check-in or adjustment after an initial visit.
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Prescription renewal $40
A brief visit to renew birth control you already use well, with a blood pressure check.
Ready to book?
- Send a request and we confirm a time within one business day.
- We come to you: home visits across Brooklin, Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax and Pickering, travel included.
- Questions first? hello@choicewellness.ca
Can a nurse really prescribe birth control in Ontario?
Yes. Since November 2023, Registered Nurses who complete College of Nurses of Ontario–approved education can prescribe hormonal contraceptives taken by mouth or by injection and vaginal ones like the ring (though not IUDs, implants or the patch), and communicate the diagnosis that goes with the prescription. Our prescriber’s authorization is listed on the CNO’s public register.
Do I need a referral or a family doctor?
No referral is needed. You don’t need a family doctor either, though with your permission we’re happy to share a summary of the visit with yours.
Is the visit covered by OHIP?
Visits with an RN prescriber are not an OHIP-insured service, so there is a fee for the visit (see Fees). The prescription itself is filled at your pharmacy and covered by drug plans in the usual way, including the Ontario Drug Benefit for those who qualify.
Can you prescribe for my teenager?
Yes, where they can consent to their own care. Ontario has no minimum age for consenting to treatment; what matters is the capacity to understand the decision. We’ll talk with them, and with you, about how that works.
Can I start birth control after having a baby?
Yes. Several methods, including the progestin-only pill and the injection, work with breastfeeding, and we’ll talk through timing after the birth. Cream for cracked nipples is part of our wound care service, so one visit can cover both.
More
Other services
Ready when you are
Request a home visit for birth control
Tell us what you need and we’ll reply within one business day with a time — then we come to you. No referral, no waiting room.