Point-of-care test and treat has moved well beyond simply offering a rapid test.
For pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, these services increasingly require a combination of clinical knowledge, patient assessment, testing skills, workflow coordination, and an understanding of when treatment or referral is appropriate.
And that makes staying current important for both individual pharmacy professionals and the organizations building these services.
The Decision Starts Before the Test
One of the most important skills in point-of-care testing is knowing whether testing is appropriate in the first place.
Consider a patient presenting with a sore throat. The goal isn’t simply to perform a strep test. The pharmacy team needs to understand the patient’s symptoms, risk factors, and clinical presentation before determining the appropriate next step.
The same principle applies across respiratory illnesses and other point-of-care services.
The right question isn’t only, “Which test should we use?”
It’s also, “Should we test this patient?”
Testing Is Only Part of the Patient Journey
A point-of-care result creates another decision point.
What happens next?
Depending on the patient, test, clinical findings, and applicable practice requirements, the next step could involve treatment, additional evaluation, counseling, or referral.
That makes patient assessment a critical part of a successful test and treat service.
Pharmacy Teams Have an Opportunity to Work Differently
Test and treat also creates opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to work together in new ways.
Technicians may support patient engagement, workflow coordination, testing processes, and specimen collection where permitted and appropriate.
Pharmacists can focus their clinical expertise on assessment, interpretation, treatment decisions, counseling, and referral.
Clearly defined responsibilities can help the service work more efficiently while supporting a better patient experience.
Current Knowledge Supports Sustainable Services
Clinical guidance and pharmacy practice don’t stand still.
Recommendations around strep, respiratory illnesses, HIV prevention, chronic disease screening, and other areas continue to evolve. Pharmacy teams need opportunities to revisit what they know and connect new recommendations with the realities of practice.
That’s the focus of CEimpact’s 2026 Annual Point-of-Care Test and Treat Update.
Join us live on Tuesday, September 15, from 7:00–8:00 PM CT to explore what’s changing and how to apply it in practice.
This course reflects guidance available through September 15, 2026, when it is recorded and released. As recommendations and best practices continue to evolve, follow CEimpact’s weekly GameChangers podcast for ongoing clinical updates.