Most hospice and long-term care (LTC) shops offer flu and strep tests. These pharmacies know how important it is to find and stop these infections early in people who are more likely to get them, like hospice patients and people who live in long-term care centers. These testing services make it easier for people to get the medical tests they need and get care right away if they need it. Also, pharmacists that work with hospices and long-term care facilities can give these patients specialized care and expert advice to meet their specific needs and deal with their unique problems.
Hospice and Long-Term Care (LTC) pharmacies mostly help hospice and LTC patients with their medicines and other pharmaceutical needs. These pharmacies might offer professional services like managing medications and giving advice, but the testing services they offer, like flu and strep tests, may depend on the pharmacy and the rules in the state where it is located.
There are times when hospice and long-term care pharmacies work with outside healthcare providers or labs to give their patients testing services, like flu and strep tests. But it’s important to keep in mind that offering testing services means following a lot of rules, making sure that quality standards are met, and making sure that staff is properly trained.
Call the Tramadol (Ultram) Store and LTC specialized pharmacy and ask about their services to find out if a Hospice and LTC pharmacy gives flu and strep tests. Keep in mind that healthcare rules and services may be different depending on where you live and what law you’re following.
Table of Contents
Testing for the flu and strep
Flu and strep tests can be done in some healthcare places, such as clinics, urgent care centers, hospitals, and some shops. Most of the time, these tests are used to find flu and streptococcal illnesses.
Flu Testing
Identifying the presence of the influenza virus in a patient’s respiratory specimen is the objective of flu testing, also known as influenza testing. There are two primary kinds of influenza tests:
- Diagnostic tests for influenza: that give answers in 15 to 30 minutes are called rapid influenza diagnostic tests (RIDTs). In healthcare settings, they are often used to help figure out if someone has the flu.
- Molecular Tests: These tests, like Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and other nucleic acid amplification tests, can find the flu virus more accurately and sensitively. They are often done in clinical labs, and you can get the results in a few hours.
Strep Testing
Streptococcus bacteria, especially Streptococcus pyogenes, can cause illnesses that can lead to strep throat and other conditions. Strep testing is used to find out what kind of infection someone has. Strep tests can be broken down into two main groups:
Rapid Antigen Tests: These tests look for certain proteins on the surface of Streptococcus. Results are ready quickly, most of the time in 5 to 15 minutes.
For culture of the throat, a sample of the throat is taken and sent to a lab. This method takes one to two days on average, but it’s more accurate than quick checks.
It is important to remember that flu and strep testing services may not be available in all places or with all healthcare providers. Some pharmacists, especially bigger retail pharmacy chains, may offer flu and strep tests, but it’s best to call the pharmacy or healthcare center to see if they are available.
Why would a pharmacy that works with hospice or long-term care offer to test for the flu and strep?
There are several reasons why a hospice or long-term care (LTC) drugstore might offer flu and strep tests:
- Hospice and long-term care centers try to give their patients complete care, which includes finding and treating common sicknesses like flu and strep throat. Having testing services on-site can help get people diagnosed and treated quickly.
- Patients in hospice or long-term care settings may not have many ways to get around or move around. Diagnostic services inside the facility can make it easier for people to get the medical care they need without having to go to other facilities.
- Finding flu and strep cases quickly is important for keeping people in hospice and long-term care situations who are more likely to get sick from spreading it. By offering testing services, illnesses can be found and treated early on, which lowers the risk of breakouts.
- If you catch and treat infections quickly, you can avoid problems and the need to stay in the hospital. This is especially important for people who already have health problems because they may be more likely to have bad results.
- To keep their patients safe, hospices and long-term care centers put virus control first. By checking people on-site, these places can quickly find and separate sick people, stopping the spread of diseases that can infect others.
- Doctors and nurses can make sure that each patient gets the right treatment by correctly diagnosing and testing them. This personalized method helps patients do better and gets better care.
- The facility’s testing services help the drugstore, healthcare workers, and other members of the care team work together better to coordinate care. This unified method can help healthcare professionals talk to each other and work together better.
- Patients can also be informed and stopped by offering testing services. To lower the chance of getting infections again, healthcare workers can talk to patients and staff about how to avoid getting infections and how important vaccines are.
- Family members and guests may also be able to get tested, so that anyone who may have been exposed to dangerous diseases can be properly checked out and cared for.
- Healthcare facilities like hospices and long-term care facilities may be required by some regulatory or certifying bodies to have testing services and plans for controlling infections and managing outbreaks.
Notably, whether or not a Hospice or LTC pharmacy offers testing services can vary from one to the next, based on the size of the facility, the resources that are available, and the rules in the area. You should talk to the facility’s managers or healthcare workers to find out if they offer flu and strep tests.
If you think you might have the flu or strep throat, we are the place to go. Our highly trained pharmacists can check you out, give you a strep or flu test, and make sure you get the right medicines.
To find out more about our flu and strep testing services, you can use our online contact form or call us at (304) 202-5240