Rapid COVID-19 test kits now available to SMEs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario
Canadian Plastics
Human Resources COVID-19More than 2,000 pharmacies have signed up to be part of this federal initiative so far.
The Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPhA) and Health Canada are making rapid test kits available in pharmacies for workplace testing by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“Increasing access to these tests is an important step in Canada’s COVID-19 screening and recovery strategy, and pharmacists are ideally positioned to aid with distribution,” CPhA officials said in an Aug. 16 statement. “About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms, so regular rapid testing can help reduce the likelihood of spreading COVID-19 to others in the workplace.”
Over the past several weeks, CPhA said, more than 2,000 pharmacies in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario have signed up to be part of this federal initiative.
As part of the program, SMEs can sign up on the Government of Canada portal and view a list of participating pharmacies in their communities. Once registered, they can contact their local pharmacies to order the tests before they pick them up. “As highly trained health-care professionals, pharmacists will show employers how to use and interpret the tests and provide advice on what to do in case of a positive result,” CPhA said.
