Urinary tract infection (UTI) treatment, diagnosis & prescriptions

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.

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.

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.

Absolutely, you can see one of our doctors online for your UTI in minutes. For women, UTIs are the most common medical condition treated by doctors on Maple. The typical treatment includes a UTI prescription for antibiotics such as Septra (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole).

Urine samples are only recommended if there’s a suspicion of a more serious kidney infection, or if you have been treated for a UTI within the past month.

Roughly one in every two women experiences a urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime. Although far more common in women, men aren’t free from getting UTIs either.

The urinary tract, composed of your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, may become infected by bacteria from the large intestine, such as E.coli, causing an infection to develop. Once your urethra becomes infected, the infection can then spread upwards to the bladder or kidneys.

The symptoms of a common infection include:

• Increased frequency of urination
• Increased urgency to urinate (like needing to run to the bathroom)
• Dysuria, burning with urination
• Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
• Absence of fever or significant abdominal or back pain

The absence of fever, flank pain, or CVA tenderness help differentiate an acute uncomplicated UTI from a complicated one which could suggest a more widespread infection.

Treatment for UTIs can vary depending on which part of the urinary tract is infected, and how severe the infection is.

For common UTIs, the typical treatment involves a UTI prescription for a short course of antibiotics like Septra. Urine samples are only recommended if there’s a suspicion of a more serious kidney infection, or if you have recently been treated for a UTI within the past month.

If symptoms don’t improve within two to four weeks of treatment, you experience symptoms of a more complicated UTI and need UTI pain relief or all of the above, you should consider seeking urgent medical care at a clinic or hospital.

It’s not recommended that you have sex with a UTI. Doing so can worsen symptoms and cause the infection to last longer. And, while a UTI isn’t considered an STI, it’s still possible to pass bacteria on to a partner.

It’s best to wait until you’ve completed your prescription for UTI antibiotics so that the infection clears up before having sex again.

With UTI treatment antibiotics, the infection can be cleared up in as little as three to seven days. While some UTIs can clear up on their own, if left untreated, symptoms can get much worse. It’s best to speak with a doctor for UTI pain relief and a prescription, if necessary.

There are a few steps you can take to help prevent UTIs such as:

• Drinking plenty of water to help flush bacteria out of the urinary tract
• Urinating right after intercourse
• Taking showers rather than baths
• Wiping from front to back after using the bathroom

A yeast infection is an overgrowth of the Candida fungus which causes an odourless discharge that itches and burns around the vagina — especially while urinating.

A UTI is caused by a bacterial infection that makes its way up the urinary tract resulting in an increased frequency and urgency of urination, burning while urinating, and cloudy or foul-smelling urine.

If you’re concerned you may have a yeast infection, our doctors can help. They can also diagnose UTIs and treat them by providing a UTI prescription online in Canada, as needed.

While a male’s longer urethra makes it more difficult for bacteria to travel up the urinary tract and cause an infection, it’s still possible to get one. Common causes include:

• Diabetes
• Unprotected anal sex
• Being immunocompromised
• Kidney stones
• An enlarged prostate

After seeing one of our doctors online for your UTI and if they determine a prescription is necessary, they’ll prescribe oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin (Amoxil), ciprofloxacin (Ciproxin), and levofloxacin (Levaquin).