Services Database Lateral Flow Testing in Community Pharmacy

This Service aims to identify asymptomatic residents thorough a purposeful and targeted approach to community testing, which will require those that are spreading the virus unknowingly, to isolate.
In addition to delivery of a programme of testing, this programme aims to increase awareness of key COVID-19 related messages that keep individuals and communities safe e.g. ‘hands, face and space’ and to mitigate impact of COVID-19 by making lifestyles changes e.g. stopping smoking for higher risk residents who are identified opportunistically by Community Pharmacy.
The Service Objectives are:

• To identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 within the population, to ensure that they self-isolate to reduce transmission to other people.
• Improve awareness of key messages around keeping safe and mitigating health harm in higher risk residents.
• To learn from the programme, to inform any further local, regional or national roll out of testing programmes e.g. regular testing for ‘test to release’ from self-isolation by key workers.

Service description/pathway

• This service requires the Community Pharmacy to deliver a full and complete service for asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 of eligible patients, using an LFT device.
• The service will be delivered in Community Pharmacy sites, across Merton, operating up to 7 days per week.
• This service will have two parts;
  • a standard offer to provide supervision of an LFT with results provided by the NHS Test and Trace service
  • an enhanced offer, including all components of the standard offer plus the delivery of test results, explanation of its meaning and an extended brief intervention
• The pharmacy will deliver the service in line with this specification, the Authority Standard Operating Procedures (ASOP), the Clinical Standard Operating Procedures (CSOP) and any current or future guidance.
• The Community Pharmacy will provide support and advice to the patient, including referral to other services where required e.g. to access a confirmation PCR test or referral to stop smoking services.
• The Community Pharmacy must be able to demonstrate that all staff delivering this service are suitable and competent to provide the service.
• The Community Pharmacy should have Risk Assessments in place to reduce the risk to staff and patients. These should include the strict use of appropriate Infection Prevention Control measures (IPC), crowd management and appropriate and safe use of consultation rooms; including waiting for tests or test results.
• Pharmacies will offer a user friendly, non-judgmental, client centred and confidential service.
• There must be sufficient level of privacy and safety in which to provide the service and so Community Pharmacies will be required to have a consulting room for supervision of the test.

Community pharmacists providing the end-to-end COVID-19 testing service, using an LFT device must complete training prior to performing any elements of the testing service with eligible clients.
Training for testing is undertaken through an online training portal. Access to the portal will require a token to be entered, which will be provided to pharmacists upon confirmation of their participation in the LFT testing service.
Training includes the following 5 modules:

• LFD process training
• LFD results recording training
• Infection prevention and control
• Guidance on self-swabbing
• Train the trainer

Each module contains written information and/or video content followed by a short MCQ assessment and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. Trainees must achieve 100% for all modules taken to achieve certification.