Health Professionals Update – Vol. 19, No. 7
From:
Dr. Atiba Nelson, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC; Associate Medical Officer of Health
In this issue
Upcoming change to specimen collection material ordering.
Key messages
- PHO will stop providing most specimen collection materials on April 1, 2026.
- Impacted providers should secure supplies from alternate vendors.
Upcoming change to specimen collection material ordering
Beginning April 1, 2026, Public Health Ontario (PHO) will stop supplying specimen collection materials for clinical laboratory testing to most community healthcare providers. For information on which providers are included, please reference the announcement from PHO.
The exception are these specialized testing kits, which will remain available from PHO:
- Bordetella Pertussis kits
- Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae NAA testing kits
- Gastric lavage collection kits (for hospital clients only)
What this means for health care providers
Providers who currently receive specimen collection materials from PHO will need to obtain specimen collection materials from alternate suppliers.
PHO has shared a reference list of suppliers and vendors who offer specimen collection materials. PHO and Peel Public Health do not recommend, endorse or guarantee any supplier, vendor or product.
Next steps for providers
- Review current inventory of swabs and collection kits.
- Contact a supply vendor to arrange ongoing orders.
- Update internal protocols to outline where materials can be obtained and how to place orders after April 1.
Peel Public Health will monitor how these changes affect local testing and will share updates as needed.
Related information
- Specimen collection material ordering update – effective April 1, 2026
- At a glance: suppliers and vendors for specimen collection materials
Contact us
The Health Professionals Update (HPU) is distributed to physician offices in Peel region via fax or email. Share this update with other health professionals in your clinic.
More information:
For questions about this update, email healthprofessionals@peelregion.ca.