Pharmacy teams asked to report Covid 19 test results regardless of outcome

Community pharmacy teams using lateral flow devices for Covid 19 testing have been asked to report their test results to the government website, be it negative, positive or void.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee stressed that patient-facing pharmacy staff who choose to use the Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) for Covid-19 tests should report their results on the gov.uk website each time they do a test.

The results must be reported as it is a statutory notifiable disease reporting requirement, it added.

The reporting can be done with a standard NHS login which removes the requirement to input demographic data each time a result is reported.

The aim behind reporting every single test is to provide a more accurate local picture of infection rates as it helps in reducing infection in local communities and protect at-risk groups.