Point of Care Testing Implementation Program

Point of Care Testing (POCT) is not new in pharmacy.  COVID-19 may have brought the subject of Point of Care Testing for pharmacies to current events, but it is not new, and the interest in it has been growing over the past decade.  For instance, a patient visits the pharmacy on average 35 times per year compared to the four times the patient sees their doctor, putting pharmacies in an excellent position to provide more accessible much needed testing.

The ability to perform clinical testing allows you to relieve the pressure on primary care providers, increase collaborative practice and clinical abilities, build long-lasting patient and provider relationships, and increase your pharmacy’s revenue.   Through marketing your POCT program to your patients, your community, and the prescribers in your area, your pharmacy can increase foot traffic while providing a much needed and important service. This is a win for your pharmacy.

Compared to the average patient copay for visits and tests at a doctor’s office, express clinic, or an emergency department, the out-of-pocket cost to patients for POCT at the pharmacy is typically less, and the amount of time a patient spends waiting is significantly reduced. This is a win for the patient.