Why you should get your Covid-19 test at your local pharmacy

Local pharmacies have been more important than ever. In fact, an online survey during the height of the pandemic found that 89% of respondents recognised the crucial role that their local pharmacy had played in getting us through the crisis.

As well as providing vital frontline treatments, health advice and support, easing the pressure on GPs and hospitals, pharmacies have also been carrying out COVID-19 tests.

If you potentially have COVID-19, the risk of passing the virus to someone else is high, and you should get tested for free by the NHS. However, if you do not have any symptoms, your local pharmacy can test you for travel or simply for peace of mind.

Pharmacies are on the testing frontline

Quick detection is at the heart of any strategy to combat viruses. That’s why local pharmacies, like VSM, have been expanding their COVID test operation enabling more people to get tested in their local community. Getting a COVID test should be a simple and accessible process, and your local independent pharmacy plays a vital role in supporting the NHS. Speedy detection of the virus means that it can be isolated and the spread halted. Our independent pharmacies are on the frontline, helping communities come together to combat the virus. Many people have to travel for work and family reasons, and rapid community testing at their local pharmacy enables them to do so with confidence.

Local testing means you don’t have to travel for testing

There’s nothing worse than having to travel miles if you want a test. By opting to get tested at your local pharmacy, you’re reducing the amount of travelling you’ll need to do, lowering risks and keeping yourself safe.

Get a quick result

By opting to be tested at your local pharmacy, you’re more likely to get a quick result if you are getting an Antigen Rapid Test or an Antibody Rapid Test. This means you’ll either be able to reassure and inform those you’ve recently been in contact with, and get on with your life. If you’re about to travel or want to return to work, a negative test can give you the reassurance you need to get on with your life. If you’re about to travel, your local pharmacy can provide you with a certificate that shows you are negative via one of their partner laboratories in the UK.

What are my testing choices if I need to travel?

The Travel Test is a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test (PCR), that checks to see if there is any virus present in your body. Swabs are taken and then sent to a government accredited laboratory, where an agent is added. If the virus is present in the sample, then a chain reaction will begin. If no chain reaction begins, then you are virus-free. The test with the pharmacist itself takes around 12 minutes. And results are sent to you within 48 hours.

A caring community service

At VSM Pharmacy, we offer a caring, community service to the people of Camberley, Surrey. We make the Covid-19 testing procedure straightforward, and you can book an appointment via our online portal. Why not book your test today?