Pharmacy professionals are fully committed to an interprofessional and person-centred approach to healthcare. Where the regulatory framework permits, a broad range of point-of-care (POC) tests can be performed at community pharmacies or clinical biology laboratories. POC tests can provide valuable information to support health-related decision making and reduce unnecessary presentations to general practitioners or emergency departments. POC tests may also be provided as part of a disease state management service to monitor the outcomes of treatment in people with chronic non-communicable diseases. In addition, pharmacy professionals can use POC tests to intervene and provide safe and quick pharmaceutical care in acute situations.
The role of pharmacy professionals in point-of-care testing
