For asymptomatic people, with a differentiated circuit and previous training.
These are the three points that summarize Madrid's plan to carry out antigen tests in pharmacies in the region, for which it will ask the central government for permission this Friday.
"We will send it today to the [Health] Ministry and, if there is a positive response, I would talk about the month of December," said the Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, about the authorization they need from the central government and about the deadlines that they estimate to be able to start it.
They calculate, according to data from the Official College of Pharmacists of Madrid, that it could be activated in about 500 of the 2,880 of these establishments that operate in the community.
If they get a yes
on the part of the ministry —which has assured that they will “study the proposal of the pharmacies with all possible impartiality and diligence”, according to Minister Salvador Illa said in an interview in La Sexta—, they would immediately enable “a responsible declaration "That the offices must sign and in which they ensure that they meet various requirements: that they have adequate physical spaces, human resources and material resources to carry out the tests, that they will carry out correct waste management and their commitment to comply with all protocols .
The Minister of Health, Enrique Ruiz Escudero, moments before taking stock this Friday of the epidemiological situation in the Community of Madrid.
On video, his statements.EFE / David Fernández / VIDEO: QUALITY
This request is voluntary and the tests can only be carried out by "holders, deputies, regents or substitutes accredited by the school, after a knowledge update course [in coordination with the Spanish Society of Family and Community Pharmacy (Sefac)]", he explained the counselor, who recalled that those with symptoms "should go to the healthcare circuit", that is, to the health system, and not to pharmacies.
Once this responsible declaration has been approved, pharmacies will be able to take advantage of two modalities.
“One, those that can carry out the tests during their hours, with an access circuit to the area designated for the test.
The other, after the closure to the public, in which case they will provide the specific schedule for that purpose ”, Escudero explained.
In any case, there must be a specific place to carry out the tests that will be disinfected after each test and must have natural or mechanical ventilation and a space for the delivery of documentation, information and sanitary hygiene recommendations.
Whether the result of the antigen test is positive or negative - it takes between 15 and 20 minutes - "the pharmacies will collect the information for subsequent information to the citizen, the Madrid Health Service and the General Directorate of Public Health," he said. the person in charge of Health, for which "they already have a secure connection line, as with the electronic prescription, so the confidentiality of the data is ensured."
The Madrid healthcare proposal, which has been drawn up together with the Official College of Pharmacists of Madrid, the Sefac and representatives of the sector, aims to "give continuity to the mass testing strategy", Escudero said.
The intention of the counseling is to continue conducting massive screening in the general population with this type of test, a protocol not endorsed by experts.
They will continue to be done in basic health areas with the highest incidence of coronavirus, determined by Public Health.
"Pharmacies", Escudero concluded, "guarantee the closeness and trust of citizens and have great time availability."
The course that will empower pharmacists
From Sefac they explain that the course was published two days ago and is open to all community pharmacists.
"We seek to update professionals, not only in terms of tests, but also around epidemiology, hygiene recommendations, etc.", explains Eduardo Satué, vice president of the company.
This is an update of the one they already developed in March, which now includes training on antigen testing.
The document,
SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus detection test
, is composed of five topics that can be completed in seven hours and which provide information on the basic issues of infection, immunology, detection systems, recommendations to the population. and four videos of practical cases.
Once completed, professionals have to pass a test: a questionnaire of 20 questions with five answer options, only one of which is valid.
"The evaluation criteria required to obtain the credits will be 80% correct," explains the organization's website.
For subsequent accreditation, they will have to request it from the Commission for Continuing Education of the Health Professions of the Community of Madrid.
This, the spokesperson points out, "does not immediately authorize the testing, it has to be in coordination with the relevant authority", in this case, the Ministry of Health: "The avalanche that has occurred today by the announcement is such that we are increasing the capacity of the server so that the page does not crash.
We still don't have figures ”.
From Sefac, Satué assures that the “approach is, always, the coordination with the rest of health workers, this is fundamental.
Anything that is done has to be coordinated with the health centers, it is not a matter of me solving the doubt for a patient about whether he is infected, but that afterwards comes the follow-up, that the health system incorporates him into the epidemiological network, that is a priority question ”.
Information about the coronavirus
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- Guide to action against the disease