COVID-19 Self-Collection

Find information for organizations and clinicians on COVID-19 self-collection and how to become a drop-off location.

Sign Up for Self-Collection

About Self-Collection

COVID-19 self-collection is a way for people in Ontario to test themselves for COVID-19 at home using a laboratory-based PCR self-collection kit. They then drop off the self-collected specimen at any participating pharmacy drop-off location. Individuals will be able to access their own test results through the COVID-19 Patient Results Viewer.

Benefits for providers and patients

  • Relieve pressures of health care capacity 
  • Eliminate manual data entry at the lab
  • Sustainable and scalable 
  • Patient self-management for COVID-19 PCR tests
  • Timely access to testing and results for patients

About Drop-Off Locations

Self-collection drop-off locations can be:

  • publicly funded COVID-19 testing centres
  • participating pharmacies in the PCR testing program

Roles and responsibilities

Drop-off locations take on the following roles:

  • Health Information Custodian
  • Ordering clinician for the submission of the patient lab test order into OLIS (Ontario Laboratories Information System)

Drop-off location responsibilities include:

  • ensuring eligibility for testing: COVID-19 testing and treatment (Government of Ontario).
  • providing quality control of patient specimen
  • scanning the test order into the system using a unique location-specific QR code provided by Ontario Health 
  • safely handling, storing and transporting the specimen to a provincial testing lab for processing  

Client Support

Training video and job aids

Order supplies

PPE Supply Portal (login required)

Questions? 

If your pharmacy would like to enrol to provide publicly funded COVID-19 testing, email OPDPInfoBox@Ontario.ca.

If you are an existing user looking for technical support, please contact the Ontario Health Service Desk at 1-866-250-1554 or OH-DS_servicedesk@ontariohealth.ca.
 

Last Updated: January 2, 2024