Personal diagnostics and health platform Thriva this week (June 20) announced that Superdrug had introduced Thriva diagnostic testing as part of a “two-year nationwide service”.

Under the new service that launched on Tuesday, Superdrug will “advance its health diagnostics, offering in-clinic health testing [and] providing customers personalised health reports and advice from GPs based on customers test results” through the Thriva Solutions platform, it said.

Read more: Superdrug pharmacists to ‘signpost’ to services under sexual consent campaign

Superdrug will offer “an extensive range of health test kits” including three newly launched antibody tests for chickenpox, Hepatitis B and MMR, it added.

The multiple will offer a venous draw service through an online booking platform that will enable customers to “purchase a health testing kit and book a blood test with a nurse remotely”, it said.

Read more: Superdrug on acquisition trail as it announces expansion plan for 2023

Thriva confirmed to C+D that the multiple’s pharmacies will host the venous-draw service, although blood tests will be delivered by a Superdrug nurse or phlebotomist.

A spokesperson said that the service will be offered in 68 stores, although this is likely to grow in the coming months, and will be priced at £179.

 

“Important milestone”

 

“For the last 14 years, our health clinics have been at the forefront of offering market-leading and accessible healthcare provision to customers on the high street,” head of healthcare services at Superdrug Chloe Anderson said.

She added that the partnership with Thriva will enable the multiple to “continue to deliver even greater health testing” to patients.  

Read more: Digital health check app launches in four UK pharmacy chains

Hamish Gierson, CEO and co-founder of Thriva said that the partership "is an important milestone” for the platform.

“By expanding our reach through diagnostics solutions and leveraging Superdrug's presence on the British high street, we are significantly enhancing accessibility to health testing," he added. 

 

World-first saliva pregnancy test

 

Meanwhile, Superdrug has also launched the “world’s first” saliva pregnancy test – known as Salistick.

Announcing the launch this week (June 20), the multiple said that it will provide its “customers greater choice and a more accessible method of pregnancy testing”.

Read more: Boots unveils plans to pilot private diabetes screening service

Salistick uses “revolutionary and patented saliva technology” to offer “high accuracy” for early pregnancy detection, allowing saliva to be used as a sample rather than the traditional urine tests, according to Superdrug.

The test is available in 400 Superdrug stores and online, with an RRP of £9.99, it said.

It comes as Well Pharmacy yesterday (June 22) announced the launch of 11 “in vitro diagnostic tests” across almost 500 of its 750 branches.

Available from Monday (June 26), the tests – covering areas including vitamin D deficiency, bacterial vaginosis, male fertility and hypothyroidism – will be “competitively priced”, starting at £8.99.