PHARMACIES in the USA have been advised that they may temporarily enrol as "independent clinical diagnostic laboratories" during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The move means the pharmacies are then able to bill America's Federal Medicare program for COVID-19 testing, as long as they have the required equipment, training and testing protocols.
In order to receive temporary billing privileges each pharmacy only needs to call a hotline number and provide limited information such as their business name, provider identifier, state license, address and contact information.
The initiative is part of new guidance issued by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which said it aimed to provide additional laboratory resources to meet the urgent need to increase COVID-19 testing capability.
Temporary billing privileges will be granted within two days.
However to maintain ongoing status after the COVID-19 crisis subsides, as a clinical diagnostic laboratory the pharmacy must submit a formal enrolment within 30 days after the formal public health emergency ceases.
While the measure removes a Federal barrier to pharmacy COVID-19 testing, some US states still restrict pharmacist authority to administer laboratory testing.
The special arrangements apply to simple point-of-care COVID-19 testing, rather than full laboratory tests for coronavirus.
If a pharmacy wishes to perform other types of COVID-19 testing as well as serology testing for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, it must also obtain a certificate of compliance or accreditation to perform high complexity testing.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 18 May 20
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