Abbott, Walgreens Increase Rapid COVID-19 Testing in Pennsylvania

Abbott and Walgreens recently launched a pilot program to increase access to rapid COVID-19 testing for Pennsylvania Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cardholders in the city of Philadelphia.

Under the program, each Philadelphia resident with a Pennsylvania EBT ACCESS card will be able to receive Abbott’s BinaxNOW COVID-19 Antigen Self Tests weekly at no cost. Customers will also be able to visit the Walgreens pharmacy at 16 locations across Philadelphia to receive their test.

Overall, the pilot program is designed to boost understanding on how to make testing more accessible to underserved and vulnerable communities. The program will run through July 4th.

"We have made enormous strides with COVID-19 testing over the past year and today rapid self-testing is broadly available," Andrea Wainer, executive vice president of rapid and molecular diagnostics at Abbott said in the announcement.

"Through this pilot, we hope to take learnings and share them with governments and health authorities to ensure that more people have access to rapid testing so we can return to the daily interactions we've missed,” Wainer continued.

An EBT cardholder is able to receive two, two-count test packs per family member per week, or up to five people per household.

For example, an EBT cardholder with a spouse and three dependents can receive ten packs per week so that each family member can test themselves twice over three days with 36 hours in between, an Abbott spokesperson explained.

Notably, EBT cards require no personal information to be recorded.  

Abbott and Walgreens stated that they will analyze logistical and operational components involved with the pilot program. And, upon completion, the companies will share its findings with local, state, and federal government officials.

"We want people to have peace of mind and comfort as they make decisions on how to resume activities while we make our way through the pandemic,” said Mike Umbleby, divisional vice president of clinical performance at Walgreens.

“We're proud to test this pilot in the city of Philadelphia, as well as continuing to offer a suite of services like free drive-thru testing at 6,000 locations and expanded OTC testing options for people who are asymptomatic and unable to make an appointment or need a quick result from home,” Umbleby continued.

In data submitted to FDA last May, the BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card showed sensitivity of 97.1 percent (positive percent agreement) and specificity of 98.5 percent (negative percent agreement) in patients suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within the first seven days of symptoms

Therefore, at the end of December, FDA issued an emergency use authorization for the test, specifically for use by patients with prescription.

The test is authorized for individuals 15 years of age or older who are suspected of COVID-19 by their healthcare provider and who are within the first seven days of symptom onset. The test can also be used with adult-collected nasal swab samples from individuals four years of age and older who are suspected of infection.

Currently, Abbott is producing tens of millions of COVID-19 tests per month, as well as a mobile app for iPhone and Android devices so that individuals can display their test results when entering facilities that require proof of testing.

The first FDA authorization was given to the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, a rapid, lateral flow antigen test. This means that it runs a liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules.

In previous studies, the test correctly identified 96 percent of positive samples and 100 percent of negative samples in individuals with symptoms. In those without symptoms, the test correctly identified 91 percent of positive samples and 96 percent of negative samples.

But other top companies, including Janssen, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Roche, and Cellex have launched successful at-home COVID-19 tests during the pandemic as well.