Pharmacists Can Now Research COVID-19: How Much Will It Cost, Will It Be Enough To Validate A Passport For Opportunity?

The order allowing advanced practice pharmacists to take swabs for rapid COVID-19 antigen testing went into effect on May 1.

“Since the risk of causing health to a patient during such a procedure is minimal and the procedure of taking a smear from the front of the nasal cavity is not complicated, the competencies of an extended-practice pharmacist are expanded,” the Ministry of Health said.

15 minutes asked pharmacies if they were ready to provide COVID-19 testing services.

Lack of clarity

Pharmacy representatives said yes, although they pointed out that there is still a lot of uncertainty in this regard.

“The BENU pharmacy network supports the initiative to test the population with rapid antigen tests for COVID-19 and in pharmacies; we have a personalized infrastructure for this, advanced pharmacists have the necessary qualifications,” said Mindaugas Urbas, manager of network marketing and communication. .

We have a tailored infrastructure, advanced practice pharmacists have the necessary qualifications.

But, he said, it is too early to say how much capacity will be needed for testing, whether the service will cost residents, and how much.

“We have not yet received guidance on the specific requirements that pharmacies must meet to conduct reliable COVID-19 testing,” he noted.

The Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė, who presented the idea of ​​the Opportunity Passport, previously noted that it is not yet clear whether the state will pay for COVID-19 testing to anyone seeking an Opportunity Passport.

He also pointed out that the test results should be evaluated and entered into the electronic health system not by anyone, but by health professionals.

Offers to allow testing for all pharmacists.

If rapid COVID-19 antigen testing can be performed only by pharmacists with advanced practice and not by all pharmacists, the scope of testing will also be limited, warned Žiedūnė Juškytė, communication project manager for the Camelia pharmacy network.

“Our network has expressed a desire to test the population with rapid COVID-19 antigen tests, but we do not yet know what the conditions and requirements will be.

Even if the tests could only be carried out by advanced pharmacists, we have the conditions, but the number of test sites would be limited, only in those pharmacies that have special vaccination rooms authorized by a personal health care institution, ”he said.

The government is expected to simplify the population testing requirements.

We hope that the requirements for testing will be simplified, for example it would be sufficient to provide a screen and chair for this procedure. We also hope that all pharmacists will be able to take the test, not just those with an advanced practice license.

We hope that all pharmacists can perform the test.

In this case, the tests could be carried out in the Lithuanian pharmacies and the availability of the tests would be high. We believe this would contribute significantly to stopping the spread of COVID-19, ”commented Ž.Juškytė.

How much will it cost, I don’t know

How much the COVID-19 antigen tests would cost the population if the service were paid, said the spokeswoman for the pharmacy network: “We cannot say how much this service would cost at this time, it will depend on many circumstances, so So far not nothing has been decided. “

Laura Bielskė, head of communication for Eurovaistinė, also lacks clarity.

“So far, there is a lack of information so that we can estimate and specify how much the tests would cost, where they will be carried out,” he said, although he noted that the pharmacy network tended to contribute to the management of COVID-19. pandemic.

“Our main desire is to overcome the pandemic as soon as possible. If we can help the state in this way in some way, we want to find ways to help. But so far there is so little information about how this could happen that we are not going to evaluate it yet.” commented L. Bielskė.

In private laboratories, rapid tests for COVID-19 antigens cost between € 20 and € 30.

About 200 advanced practice pharmacists in Lithuania

According to the Lithuanian Pharmacy Association, there are about 200 pharmacists with advanced practice in the country. Will the scope of the tests after the introduction of the passport of opportunity be sufficient?

Perhaps there are plans to expand the testing capacity in some way?

With such questions 15 minutes He addressed the Health Ministry on Tuesday but has not received a response so far. If we do, we will add text.

The government intends to decide on the passport options and where and how it will work on Wednesday.

Seimas spokesperson Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen looked skeptical at the initiative to introduce a passport of opportunities when a European green certificate should come into effect in early summer. According to her, “there is no longer a target to rush the Lithuanian equivalent.”

With a passport: more entertainment opportunities

The passport of opportunity valid in Lithuania is intended to be a virtual document issued for those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, who have acquired immunity (who have developed COVID-19) or who have received a negative test result.

In each case, the person will receive a unique QR code to confirm their immunity.

Holders of such a passport can visit catering establishments, participate in larger outdoor and indoor events, and participate in leisure activities. Service providers would be allowed to host private parties involving more than two households.