Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacy POC testing next step

COMMUNITY pharmacies are set to play a role in boosting access to COVID-19 testing through the use of rapid antigen test kits, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey, believes.

Speaking during the Guild's COVID-19 vaccination update last Wed, Twomey described the rollout of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics as the next step for pharmacy.

"There has been a lot of talk about vaccinations, but the other two important elements for us to try to transition away from this crisis state to living with the virus is making it easier for Australians to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and also making it easier for Australians to be treated," he said.

"We've been spending all our energies and efforts on ensuring that all vaccines are available to all Australians through all pharmacies, and we've made in-roads on that... but POC diagnostics is the next part that we need to focus on.

"People should not have to go to a hospital, or drive-thru clinic, people should be able to access COVID-19 testing through their local community pharmacy.

"This is happening overseas... and it will be happening in Australia.

"The issue we have here is not an availability of these - there are 45 POC diagnostic tests for COVID-19 on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

"The issues that we are working on, in making POC diagnostics available in all of your pharmacies are twofold.

"The first is getting it paid for by the Commonwealth Government.

"The second one is getting it acknowledged by State and Territory officials... to get some form of national consistency."

Twomey stressed the rapid antigen tests were "safe and proven".

"They are very quick - within 15 to 30 minutes - and as I've said are being used in many other states and territories... in fact we have already had trials in Queensland and South Australia, so not only is this not a world first, it's already not an Australian first," he said.