The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on addressing common barriers to pharmacy-based point-of-care testing

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Pharmacy-based point-of-care testing has long had the potential to improve patient access to timely care, but adoption has been slowed by financial and regulatory barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced or temporarily eliminated many of the barriers to pharmacy-based testing. This review examines how the changes brought on by may impact pharmacy-based testing after the pandemic.

Areas covered: This review searched peer-reviewed, lay, and regulatory literature to explore the implementation of pharmacy-based COVID-19 testing. This includes a review of regulatory and financial changes that removed barriers to testing. Additionally, it reviews the literature related to the growth of pharmacy-based testing.

Expert opinion: It is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic created an awareness and opportunity for pharmacy-based point-of-care testing. The changes made in response to the pandemic have the potential to increase the role of pharmacy-based testing, but additional regulatory changes and wider pharmacy adoption are still needed to maximize the value of such services.

KEYWORDS:

• Pharmacist
• pharmacy
• point-of-care testing
• CLIA-waived
• COVID-19

Article highlights

• Pharmacy-based POCT has the potential to improve access to timely testing, but historical barriers have slowed adoption.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has, at least, temporarily removed several of the barriers to pharmacy-based testing in the United States.

• Relaxation of regulatory restrictions on the ability of pharmacies to provide testing led to a significant increase in the number of pharmacy-based labs.

• Pharmacy-based testing for COVID-19 provided a heightened awareness among the general population, which is likely to shift long-term demand for such services.

• To reach the full potential of pharmacy-based testing, pharmacists will have to continue to push for permanent regulatory changes including the ability to test-and-treat for conditions like influenza.

Declaration of interest

DG Klepser has received grants from Roche Diagnostics and Genentech. ME Klepser has received grants from Roche Diagnostics and Genentech. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.