Pharmacist-provided SARS-CoV-2 testing targeting a majority-Hispanic community during the early COVID-19 pandemic: results of a patient perception survey

Patel, Janelle; Christofferson, Nikki; Goodlet, Kellie J.

Background Racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionally represented among U.S. COVID-19 cases, owing to long-standing systemic inequities in the social determinants of health. Among Hispanic populations, lack of access to testing sites has resulted in delayed time to diagnosis, risking increased spread within high-risk communities. The accessibility and expertise of community pharmacists support expanded pharmacist roles in public health and pandemic response, including point-of-care (POC) diagnostic testing. Objective To determine the local impact of community pharmacist-provided COVID-19 testing among a majority-Hispanic, lower income population during the early COVID-19 pandemic, as assessed via a patient satisfaction survey. Methods A 10-question Likert-type questionnaire was administered in English and Spanish to patients who received a pharmacist-provided POC COVID-19 test at a large-chain community pharmacy in Arizona between 5/1/20 and 6/14/20. Questions surrounded patient perceptions of the testing process and subsequent pharmacist counselling on their test results. Results At total of 622 patients completed the survey (94.1% participation rate among successful contacts, representing 28.3% of all eligible patients). The mean age was 42 years, 51% were female, and 64% of patients identified as Hispanic. Over 97% of surveyed patients either agreed or strongly agreed that receiving a pharmacist-provided COVID-19 test at a community pharmacy was a comfortable experience, expanded their access to care, and allowed them to receive their test results in a timely manner. Additionally, over half of surveyed patients “did not know” where they would have alternatively sought testing if the community testing site was not available. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated highly favorable patient perceptions of pharmacist-provided POC testing for COVID-19, with over 99% of surveyed patients satisfied with their testing experience. Conclusion Among patients in a lower-income majority-Hispanic community, pharmacist-provided POC testing services for COVID-19 were well-received and expanded patient access to testing during the early pandemic.