Lateral Flow Device Service
The Lateral flow device tests supply service for patients potentially eligible for COVID-19 treatments (LFD service) was commissioned as an Advanced service from 6th November 2023. The objective of this service is to offer eligible at risk patients access to LFD tests to enable testing at home for COVID-19, following symptoms of infection. A positive LFD test result will be used to inform a clinical assessment to determine whether the patient is suitable for and will benefit from NICE recommended COVID-19 treatments.
(A similar service was previously commissioned, which was known as the COVID-19 Lateral Flow Device Distribution Service (publicly known as Pharmacy Collect). However, this service was decommissioned on 31st March 2022.)
LATEST UPDATE
You may see an increase in requests from Care Homes in the coming weeks as they are asked to prepare for Winter.
With the expanded cohorts, not everyone will have had a letter.
Provision of LFD tests:
The pharmacy contractor must confirm the patient’s eligibility for a supply of LFD tests. This could be by:
- Having a discussion with the patient or their representative about medical history, confirming they qualify;
- Consider reviewing the National Care Records Service (NCRS)
- Referring to pharmacy PMR
- Seeing an NHS letter which confirms eligibility
From the 1st April, the lateral flow device (LFD) supply service for patients potentially eligible for COVID-19 treatments was updated to include the following additional patient groups:
- People aged 85 years and over
- People with end-stage heart failure who have a long-term ventricular assistance device
- People on the organ transplant waiting list
- People resident in a care home who are aged 70 years and over
- People resident in a care home who have a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or more
- People resident in a care home who have diabetes
- People resident in a care home who have heart failure
- People currently in a hospital who are aged 70 years and over
- People currently in a hospital who have a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or more
- People currently in a hospital who have diabetes
- People currently in a hospital who have heart failure
Service reminder:
All Eligible patients can obtain a free box of five LFD tests from a community pharmacy signed up to provide the service ideally before they have covid and need to test.
A positive LFD result may help to determine whether the patient is referred to a COVID-19 treatment service.
Pharmacies already signed up:
- Amend SOP with updated eligibility list
- Check stock levels
- Check the Service is selected on your Profile Manager
Pharmacies not signed up:
- Know where the nearest pharmacies providing the service are so you can signpost patients. A map can be found here: https://cpsc.org.uk/public/how-find-your-local-pharmacy
- Pharmacies can sign up to provide the service on MYS
