Point of Care Significance 5/10

Pharmacy-Based CLIA-Waived Testing Programmes for Infectious Disease Management

This review describes how community pharmacies across the US are incorporating CLIA-waived point-of-care tests into infectious disease screening and management programmes, covering HIV, influenza, and streptococcal pharyngitis. The authors present clinical evidence supporting pharmacy-based testing models and discuss how these programmes expand access to rapid diagnostics in community settings. Future potential for additional CLIA-waived POCT applications in the pharmacy setting is explored.

The original study

Pharmacy-Based Infectious Disease Management Programs Incorporating CLIA-Waived Point-of-Care Tests.

Authors
Herbin SR, Klepser DG, Klepser ME
Journal
Journal of clinical microbiology
Type
Journal Article, Review
PMID
32075903
Read the original study →

Original abstract

There are roughly 48,000 deaths caused by influenza annually and an estimated 200,000 people who have undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). These are examples of acute and chronic illnesses that can be identified by employing a CLIA-waived test. Pharmacies across the country have been incorporating CLIA-waived point-of-care tests (POCT) into disease screening and management programs offered in the pharmacy. The rationale behind these programs is discussed. Additionally, a summary of clinical data for some of these programs in the infectious disease arena is provided. Finally, we discuss the future potential for CLIA-waived POCT-based programs in community pharmacies.