Patients will be able to order low-priced lab tests without prescription

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Community pharmacies will be able to offer patients direct access to lab tests and health screenings via a partnership announced by the National Community Pharmacists Association.

NCPA said Friday that it will collaborate with consumer-direct lab testing provider Ulta Lab Tests LLC to roll out an online community lab testing platform to member pharmacies nationwide. The association noted that by integrating Ulta Lab Tests’ services within the community pharmacy setting, patients will be able to order low-priced lab tests without having to get a prescription from a local doctor.

In addition, pharmacy customers can order lab tests and health screenings and have access to test information from the Internet and mobile apps. The digital access will enable them review and track their test results for each biomarker from their personal, secure dashboard 24/7, as well as share the information with their pharmacist and physician.

“In many areas, community pharmacists are the only accessible health care provider and a resource for vital, patient-focused services such as medication management, education, immunizations, and more,” NCPA chief executive officer B. Douglas Hoey said in a statement. “This exciting new collaboration with Ulta Lab Tests will allow community pharmacists to continue their commitment to driving better health outcomes for patients by giving patients direct access to information about their own health at lower costs.  At the same time, it gives community pharmacists a chance to diversify their patient service offerings and business opportunities.”

On its website, NCPA said the U.S. market size for lab tests is 58 times larger than that for flu shots. About 120 million flu shots are administered annually, compared with approximately 7 billion lab tests.

“The community pharmacies that expand their practices and find unique niches are the ones that will succeed in today’s rapidly changing health care landscape,” Hoey added. “This new collaboration with Ulta Lab Tests is a good place to start.”

Through the Ulta Lab Tests service, consumers can save up to 80% off the regular price of lab tests and health screenings. They will have direct access to more than 1,600 lab tests and health screenings without the need to obtain a prescription from a local physician (due to state law, the service isn’t available in New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island), as well as convenient access to over 2,100 state and federally certified blood-draw centers nationwide for specimen collection. Lab test results are provided within one to two days.

“We are excited to collaborate with NCPA to offer 23,000 independent community pharmacies access to our low-priced and confidential lab testing and health screening services,” stated John Roehm, CEO of Ulta Lab Tests. “Our pharmacy partners can now offer their customers access to more than 1,600 lab tests and health screenings. With 70% of all diseases being diagnosed from blood testing, pharmacists and their customers now have the ability to monitor health conditions.”