Up the nose and off you go: More pharmacies offering pre-travel asymptomatic COVID-19 testing

Travel to most destinations outside of Canada requires a negative COVID-19 test. With only two provinces providing free pre-travel testing, some pharmacies are offering pre-travel asymptomatic COVID-19 testing, both point-of-care rapid antigen and PCR, where the sample is collected at the pharmacy and sent to an off-site lab. In March, only pharmacies in Alberta and Ontario were fully cleared to collect specimens for asymptomatic COVID-19 testing. Now, provinces have adjusted regulations and pharmacies in most provinces are able to go through the accreditation process to perform the asymptomatic tests. In B.C., licensing and accreditation is through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. Chris Chiew, general manager of pharmacy at London Drugs says it took months to get approval, but the chain is now giving PCR pre-travel tests. Teams from London Drugs have collected samples for more than 1,000 tests since June 21, Chiew says. The company hopes to expand the service to other B.C. locations in the next couple of months, with plans to add rapid antigen testing to the roster. SRx Health Solutions is administering both PCR and rapid antigen tests in most provinces where pharmacies are allowed: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Rapid antigen tests are the most popular by far, says Stephanie Nazywalskyj, director of strategic communications for SRx Health Solutions. Select Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmasave and others are also offering the tests where permitted. Read: COVID-19 testing: Round-up of requirements and availability across Canada Profit Cost to consumers varies across Canada. In B.C., a PCR COVID-19 test is $250, with prices ranging from $149 to $170 before tax in other provinces. Rapid antigen testing goes for between $40 and $70 per test before tax, depending on the province. For the pharmacies, the profit is marginal, said Marco Casagrande, vice-president of operations for Sandstone Pharmacies in Alberta. Lab and courier fees drive up the costs for PCR tests. Nazywalskyj adds that samples must be taken by a nurse in Saskatchewan. SRx Health Solutions sees it as a community service, she says. “We’re offering the lowest possible cost." Others echoed the sentiment that providing the test is a community service rather than a money-maker. “We’re not just in it to make money, we’re in it to help the public by providing the services that they’re looking for,” Chiew says. But, he adds, offering the test also allows pharmacies to differentiate themselves from the competition as very few pharmacies in B.C. are able to provide it. Read: Rapid COVID tests should be available in pharmacies just like pregnancy tests: Quebec professor Safety Keeping staff and other customers safe is a concern when offering COVID-19 testing in the pharmacy. At Shoppers Drug Mart, patients are pre-screened to make sure they meet the criteria of needing a test. The screening also aims to ensure patients are asymptomatic for the safety of staff and customers. Pharmacists at Sandstone Pharmacies gained comfort with the process of taking samples when the pharmacies took part in an Alberta pilot project to have asymptomatic testing in pharmacies last summer, Casagrande says. The company standard for PPE during sample collection is a mask, goggles and gown, but it depends on the comfort of the pharmacist, he adds. Demand Sandstone started offering the PCR tests in May and demand peaked in August, Casagrande says. At that time pharmacies were collecting 20 to 25 samples a month, he says. The demand for the rapid antigen COVID-19 tests is high. In Alberta, people must show a record of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test from a private company to access certain venues or businesses. Casagrande said high-volume pharmacies are conducting between eight to 15 rapid antigen tests a day, while lower volume pharmacies are seeing between three and nine. The demand for testing is paired with an increased uptake in vaccinations as new regulations come into effect. “The combination of the two happening at the same time is really where the pressure point is,” Casagrande says. Read: Sad reality: COVID deaths keeping Alberta hospitals from being overrun says Dr. Verna Yiu Feedback Regardless of the extra work and safety concerns, pharmacy staff are getting good feedback from patients. “The response from both our pharmacy teams and patients have been great,” a spokesperson from Shoppers Drug Mart said. “Our pharmacists are happy to be doing their part to help curb the spread of COVID-19, while providing an important service to our customers and the local communities in which they serve.” Nazywalskyj said that the SRx Health Solutions staff have found that patients are grateful to receive the test. People are excited to have an opportunity to travel, and are relieved to be able to access the kind of COVID-19 test required, she said. The London Drugs staff is pleased to offer the COVID-19 testing, Chiew said. A lot of customers are doing the test so they can travel, “and they can see the excitement in these people’s faces when they come and get the test.” It is the anticipation of people seeing their family for the first time in two years, or meeting their grandchildren for the first time, Chiew said. Read: All vaxxed up with somewhere to go: Dealing with travel questions about AZ and mixed vaccines Advice The number of pharmacies providing asymptomatic COVID-19 testing will grow. For example, London Drugs, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sandstone Pharmacies and SRx Health Solutions all plan to expand testing to more pharmacies throughout Canada. Casagrande advised pharmacies who plan to offer asymptomatic rapid antigen COVID-19 testing to “make sure that you are choosing to get involved with the right testing kits.” There are a number approved by Health Canada. He also said that a good working partnership with the lab providing the PCR COVID-19 test analysis is key. For most pre-travel testing, the test must be conducted 72 hours prior to travel, which means timing of the test and test results is critical. “You need to have a lot of coordinated effort between the pharmacy, the pharmacists and the labs to make sure that your teams are operating to full effect,” he said. Chiew advises patients to do their homework about what kind of test their travel destination requires. The requirements change, he noted. Casagrande said that offering asymptomatic COVID-19 testing is a must to be a fully-servicing pharmacy in today’s environment. “There’s no greater gift that you can give patients right now than either the freedom of vaccination, or the freedom of them being able to resume their lives. It’s the number one topic coming into the pharmacy right now,” Casagrande said. Read: Focus on immune system health, not age, when discussing vaccines with older adults

Up the nose and off you go: More pharmacies offering pre-travel asymptomatic COVID-19 testing

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