Rapid testing for bacterial infections is being rolled out across community pharmacies in Wales, the Welsh government announced this week.
It said over 300 community pharmacies and GP surgeries have signalled interest in participating in the two-year trial, which will provide “near-immediate test results without the need for samples being sent to laboratories”.
The government added that the pilot is part of its “ongoing aim to make sure more people can access healthcare closer to home” and “will help to target antibiotic prescribing, tackling the problem of resistance”.
And it said the trial is using diagnostic equipment “originally purchased during the pandemic” and which “has been upgraded and repurposed to test for multiple bacterial infections in community settings”.
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The pilot will use C-Reactive Protein (CRP) testing to help healthcare professionals “identify bacterial infections and make more informed decisions about antibiotic prescribing”.
It has been funded by £734,000 from the Welsh government and £500,000 from the INEOS Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research.
Oxford University will evaluate the pilot’s “impact on antibiotic prescribing, patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness”, the government said, and the research “will also develop machine learning models to identify patients at risk of adverse outcomes”.
“Unique opportunity”
The Welsh government’s cabinet secretary for health and social care Jeremy Miles said the trial “is a unique opportunity for Wales to lead the way in embedding high-quality diagnostic testing in primary and community care”.
“By bringing testing closer to where people live, we can improve health outcomes, reduce pressure on hospital services, and ensure more appropriate use of antibiotics.”
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Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board’s clinical lead for clinical biochemistry and point of care testing, Professor John Geen, said the project “offers the opportunity to investigate clinical decision-making on the prescribing of antibiotics in patients presenting with respiratory infections” and “the impact of behavioural interventions, supported by diagnostic testing, in general practice and community pharmacies”.
The study could also “help us understand the logistics required for the provision of future diagnostic testing in the community”, he added.
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It comes after a study from the University of Liverpool found that artificial intelligence can help make better antibiotic prescribing choices in the treatment of urinary tract infections.
And it follows the Royal Pharmaceutical Society in September announcing their intention to “transform pharmacy services” in Wales over the next three years.
The priorities for the sector include “embedding prevention and wellbeing, delivering electronic prescribing across Wales and transforming aseptic services”, it said.
