You may be wondering what point of care testing is, and why it’s so important for pharmacies. Point of care testing is a form of rapid diagnostic testing that allows patients to receive immediate results from their blood or urine samples without having to go through the process of sending them off for analysis in a laboratory. This means that doctors can get results faster, which can help them make more accurate diagnoses and prescribe effective treatments sooner than they would otherwise be able to do. In addition, point-of-care tests are typically less expensive than traditional lab tests because they require less equipment and personnel–and some even come with built-in software systems that allow you to run multiple tests at once!

Benefits of Point of Care Testing for Independent Pharmacies

• Increased revenue. POC testing can increase revenue by providing more services to your customers, and it also allows you to charge more for those services. By offering POC testing, you’ll be able to capture a larger share of the market as more people become aware that they can get their results quickly and easily at your pharmacy.
• Improved patient outcomes. When patients know they’re getting accurate results, they’re less likely to worry about whether or not they have been given proper treatment or medication dosages by their physicians–which means fewer unnecessary trips back into the doctor’s office or emergency rooms!

Types of Point of Care Tests

There are many different types of point-of-care tests that you can use in your pharmacy. The most common ones include:

• Flu tests, COVID tests, Strep tests, A1C tests, RSV tests, and more.
  These are all performed using a small amount of blood, urine or saliva- which is then analyzed by the machine to provide results. Each test has its own benefits and limitations, so it’s important to know what they are before deciding on which one is right for your pharmacy or patients. SiteLabs is happy to assist you with discovering which tests are right for your pharmacy.

Implementing Point of Care Testing in Pharmacies

To implement POC testing in your pharmacy, you will need to:

• Select the right technology for your practice. There are several options available, including devices that use lateral flow (like the Status™ COVID-19/Flu A&B Antigen Rapid Test) and those that use fingerstick (like the A1CNow).
• Train staff on how to use it. This may require some additional training if they’re not familiar with point-of-care tests already. SiteLabs can help set up an appropriate workflow for processing samples and interpreting results. Many of our partners also offer training resources like the Point of Care Testing Institute (POCTi).
• Educate your patients. SiteLabs offers an assortment of marketing resources to help you boost interest in POC testing for your pharmacy. Your success is our success, so let’s develop a rewarding testing program together!

Conclusion

POC testing is a great way to help your patients, and you as a pharmacist. It can improve patient outcomes, increase compliance and reduce costs. If you’re interested in learning more about POC testing or have any questions about this guide, feel free to reach out!