Sore throat treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions
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Talk to a doctor about Sore throat treatment online
See a doctor or nurse practitioner today to get a new prescription or refill, at their discretion.
After your consultation, if you have received a medical diagnosis and prescription for a medication, your prescription can be faxed to the pharmacy of your choice for pick-up or delivered to your home.
Get your medications delivered to your door anywhere in Canada within 1-3 business days.
Maple members get 24/7 access to primary care online and more. Our doctors and nurse practitioners are available to see you in minutes, anytime.
See a provider in three easy steps.
- 1
Register and become a member
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Select the “Get care” button on our homepage
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Connect with a Canadian-licensed doctor or nurse practitioner in minutes
Golbarg Araghi
Family Physician
Dr. Araghi has been practicing medicine for 17 years. She graduated from McGill University medical school in 2002 and completed her family medicine residency at the University of Toronto. She did a fellowship in low risk obstetrics shortly after graduating. She has been practicing since 2004 and has provided care for patients of all ages. She is a great addition to our team!
Jonathan Clayton
Family Physician
Dr. Clayton practices family medicine in urban and rural areas, emergency care, and hospital care in New Brunswick. He is also an expedition physician. Dr. Clayton holds a Bachelor of Science with distinction from the University of New Brunswick and a Doctor of Medicine from Memorial University, where he made the Dean's list.
Paul Cusack
Family Physician
Dr. Cusack has been practicing Family Medicine in Charlottetown for the past 15 years. He also works in a busy walk-in clinic two days a week and heads up to the Surgical Assist group at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.
Michael Verbora
Family Physician
Dr. Verbora practices family medicine in Toronto and specializes in student health. He received his Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Windsor, his Masters of Business Administration from Odette School of Business, and his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Western Ontario. Dr. Verbora completed specialty training at the Toronto Western Hospital while acting as the OCFP (Ontario College of Family Physicians) Chair of the Residents Committee.
Joe Fragapane
Family & ER Physician
Dr. Fragapane practices Emergency and Family medicine for the Cree Nation in the native territories of the James Bay Quebec. As a physician, he mainly focuses in emergency rural medicine and pediatrics. His practice is broad, encompassing complex medical as well as psycho-social issues, in the isolated regions of northern Quebec with difficult access to diagnostic testing and specialized services. He graduated from McGill Medical School in 2012 and from the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2005.
Mazin Yousif
Family Physician
Dr. Yousif completed medical school in Baghdad, Iraq in 1998. He practiced until 2005 then moved to Canada where he has practiced in Newfoundland from 2007-2009 then Ontario from 2009 until now.
Why Canadians love Maple
A fantastic way to get medical advice when you are unable to see someone in person. The app is so simple to use. Highly recommend. I am not a tech savvy person but the doctor was kind enough to patiently walk me through every step of the process. Thank you.
Saved me hours waiting in the ER.
Fast and effective tool for getting a diagnosis and prescription.
The doctor willingly took the time to explain things to me.
Very easy to book a therapist and get appointment receipts.
Frequently asked questions
Maple 101
Maple is a virtual care platform that connects you with doctors and other healthcare providers via text, audio, or video. After you log in to your Maple account, you can request an online consultation.
Consultations work similarly to in-person appointments — the doctor can complete an assessment by asking questions about your symptoms, going through your health history, and determining what treatment is right for you. If they think your condition is more serious, they may tell you to go to a clinic for an in-person examination.
As a Maple member, you get 24/7 access to virtual primary care online and more. You can connect with our network of providers via text, audio, or video call within minutes.
Pricing and Payment
Our membership costs $79.99/month and covers virtual care for patients and their families, including the primary account holder's spouse and any dependents.
For patients in eligible provinces, our membership includes:
- Access to daily primary care provider visits: One daily visit with a primary care provider for each family member in their household.
- Paediatric care: Covered paediatric primary care visits, available by appointment.
- Second medical opinions: access to a network of experts for a second opinion if diagnosed with a complex condition (e.g. cancer).
- Personal Health Check-Ins: A series of personalized, evidence-based proactive care screenings to maintain and improve health.
- iCBT courses: Access to iCBT (internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy) self-assessment and courses.
- Access to specialists in eligible provinces: Easy access to specialists on Maple within days, not months. No referral is needed.
- Specialist referrals in eligible provinces: Ability to be referred to a physician specialist for in-person care, if needed.
- Credit discounts: An $80 credit per month to be applied to a Maple specialist visit.
Please note that our membership cannot be combined with other offerings, such as private insurance coverage and provincial programs, where available. In some cases, membership fees can be covered by a Healthcare Spending Account (HSA) — check with your HSA provider for more details.
We accept all major credit cards, including AMEX cards, as well as Google and Apple Pay.
Security and Privacy
At Maple, we proudly prioritize privacy as a cornerstone of our virtual care services. We strictly adhere to privacy and healthcare legislation in Canada, such as PIPEDA and PHIPA regulations, to ensure patients' personal and health information remains completely private and safeguarded.
Our policies and consent processes are designed to be simple and easily understood, empowering individuals with control and a clear understanding of their healthcare journey. When using our services, a patient’s session is protected by a comprehensive security infrastructure and stringent data policies.
Patients also retain full control of their personal health information, medical records and test results at all times. Our approach is reinforced by consultations with leading experts, guaranteeing comprehensive policy frameworks that are reviewed at a regular cadence.
All providers delivering healthcare through Maple are licensed in Canada and governed by their licensing regulatory colleges, and in all instances, must act in accordance with the governing principles set out in the telemedicine policies of each medical regulator in the applicable province.
Regulators across Canada support and recognize the value of services like ours, and the way in which they can benefit patients, physicians, and Canada’s broader healthcare system by improving access to care and increasing efficiencies in the delivery of care.
About Sore throat
In most cases, doctors can diagnose a sore throat online by asking about your symptoms, requesting to see images, or video calling to observe your skin. Once you describe your symptoms and the doctor has inspected your skin, they will be able to diagnose and prescribe appropriate treatment.
In children, doctors treat strep infections with antibiotics only to reduce the chance of strep related complications, not to reduce the length of illness.
In adults, antibiotics offer little benefit for throat infections, and the best treatments are often a mix of anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and oral steroid medications, all of which can be safely prescribed online.
Yes, our physicians can prescribe medications online during your consultation. Once you accept a prescription, you’ll have the option to pick it up from any pharmacy or we’ll deliver it right to your door at no additional cost.
A sore throat, also known as pharyngitis, is usually one of the first signs that you’ve caught a bug. Sore throats are most commonly caused by viruses, like the cold virus, but can also be due to more serious viruses like the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis.
Only a minority of sore throats are caused by strep bacteria, causing what we commonly call strep throat.
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hoarse or muffled voice
- Inflamed tonsils
- Itchy throat
- Throat pain
- Sore and swollen glands around your neck and jaw area
A sore throat caused by a viral infection like a common cold includes the following symptoms:
- Body aches
- Cough
- Fever
- Mild headache
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
A sore throat caused by a bacterial infection typically includes the following symptoms:
- Loss of appetite
- Pain swallowing
- Red tonsils
You should see a doctor if you experience:
- A high fever — 38.3 C (101 F)
- A lump in your neck
- A sore throat that lasts longer than a week
- Difficulty swallowing and/or breathing
- Earaches
- Hoarse speech for more than two weeks
- Joint pain
Do you need medical care today?
Trusted, experienced doctors and nurse practitioners are ready to see you.
Maple is safe and effective for common non-emergency issues. If you believe you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911 or proceed to your nearest emergency room.
