Patients will be notified “if and when we’re able to supply” rapid lateral flow tests, the online pharmacy wrote in a COVID-19 testing page on its website, last accessed by C+D today (April 20).

The webpage also makes patients aware that they can order their rapid lateral flow test kits “directly to your home, on the government website”.

The page also directs patients to a government website, where they “can find out if your local council is offering rapid lateral flow tests”.

C+D approached Pharmacy2U last week (April 14) to ask for details on the discussions the online pharmacy was holding with NHS and test providers. A spokesperson told C+D the company did not have anything to contribute to the story.

PSNC: Online pharmacies can offer Pharmacy Collect

The Pharmacy Collect service – which launched on March 29 – allows asymptomatic patients to collect COVID-19 lateral flow device testing kits free of charge from their local pharmacy. Health secretary Matt Hancock revealed yesterday (April 19) that more than nine in 10 pharmacies across England are now offering the service.

A Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) spokesperson told C+D that distance-selling pharmacies (DSPs) can offer the advanced service, as the service specification does not prevent them from doing so.

However, they need to ensure that they do not provide “any essential services to any person present at their premises while providing the advanced service”, according to the PSNC spokesperson.

DSPs and bricks-and-mortar pharmacies can also offer home delivery of the test kits, “as long as all the other requirements of the service are fulfilled”, they added.

However, the Pharmacy Collect service is “focused on people collecting test kits from their local community pharmacy. Generally, people who wish to have test kits delivered to their home should order their kits from the GOV.UK website”, PSNC said.