NCPA: Demand ‘sky-high’ for at-home COVID tests
By HME News Staff
Updated 8:47 AM CST, Wed January 26, 2022
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More than nine in 10 pharmacists are having a difficult time keeping up with the surging demand for at-home COVID-19 tests, according to a new survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association.
“COVID-19 has caused shortages throughout the economy, but this is acute,” said B. Douglas Hoey, NCPA CEO. “Community pharmacists are the first line of defense against the virus. Testing is a key to getting everyone back at work and back in school, and right now the supply just isn’t there.”
NCPA recently surveyed roughly 8,000 pharmacy owners and managers and found that 92.7% say they are having a tough time sourcing enough at-home COVID-19 tests to meet demand.
The demand for tests is sky-high largely because of protocols established by public and private employers, schools and colleges, and even restaurants and bars in some cities that require some patrons to present a negative test.
“This is much more contagious variant, and while it may be milder than previous strains, it is affecting many more people, and that is driving the demand,” said Hoey.
Other findings from the survey:
Roughly 43% of community pharmacies are performing COVID-19 tests. Among those, more than 26% say they are having a difficult time getting the testing supplies they need.
Almost 90% of community pharmacists say the demand for COVID-19 tests is higher than it was last November when the Delta strain was spreading across the country.
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