Will we soon be able to buy Covid self-tests when shopping?
Carrefour has already decided to order a million, announced the distribution giant in a tweet on Wednesday morning.
"The first will be on sale this weekend in the drugstores of our stores," said a spokesperson for the group.
According to our information, at first, they should be sold by box of 20 to 39.90 euros, then in a second time 14.90 euros for five.
But the government still has to authorize it by then.
Because if the High Authority of Health (HAS) has validated, Tuesday, the use of these self-tests to be done at home for people over 15 years without symptoms, the conditions of their sale "were not yet been defined ”this Wednesday evening, specifies Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of pharmaceutical unions of France (FSPF).
“You should know that the self-test is an in vitro diagnostic medical device that is part of the pharmaceutical monopoly.
We therefore need a dispensation for it to be sold elsewhere, by decree for example, he specifies.
However, for the moment, this is not the case, and it has not even been decided to my knowledge.
"
Contacted, the General Directorate of Health (DGS) confirms: “Article L4211-1 of the Public Health Code subjects self-tests to the pharmaceutical monopoly, with the exception of pregnancy tests and ovulation tests.
Thus, it is forbidden for a large supermarket to sell self-tests.
"
Questions remain about probate and reimbursement
Another uncertainty which still weighs on the marketing of these products: “We do not know either which ones are approved, nor what will be the tracing method (in the event of a positive test).
And we have no visibility on the possible reimbursement, ”lists Philippe Besset.
Same story on the side of Gilles Bonnefond, president of the Union of trade unions of pharmacists of dispensaries (USPO) which denounces "a marketing coup of the large distribution which wants to force the hand in the government".
“We must also be careful with these self-tests, because even if it is a nasal sample, less intrusive than the nasopharyngeal, it is not that easy to perform it, he recalls.
Professional advice is needed.
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VIDEO. Covid-19: self-tests, how do they work?
For his part, while Jérôme Salomon, Director General of Health, had indicated this Sunday on BFMTV that these self-tests would be offered "perhaps in supermarkets or pharmacies in any case", Carrefour specifies to have "mobilized immediately to find, because the health of our employees and customers has always been the group's priority ”.
“This is how we did our job,” continues the brand.
You have to go to the Ministry of Health to rule on regulatory issues.
"
Out of stock in Germany
In Europe, other countries have already authorized the marketing of these self-tests.
This is particularly the case for Portugal, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
On sale at the beginning of March in Aldi supermarkets and on the Lidl website, the Germans had also flocked to these products, causing stockouts in just a few hours.
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In France, Michel-Edouard Leclerc had also let it be known on the weekend of March 13-14 that his stores were “volunteers to disseminate antigenic tests”, just like Dominique Schelcher who indicated in a tweet on Tuesday evening that System U will make “self-tests available to customers as soon as possible in the coming days”.
