BOISE, Idaho and NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Albertsons Companies announced today that it has partnered with Phosphorus to begin offering at-home COVID-19 test kits in select market areas, with plans to expand the offering throughout September and October.
The saliva tests typically return results in 72 hours or less from the time the lab receives the test. Albertsons Cos. piloted the test kits in the Houston, Austin, and Boise markets and saw rapid adoption from patients.
"Customers appreciate the convenience and innovation of taking the test from their own home,” said Dan Salemi, GVP Albertsons Cos. Pharmacy. “The saliva test is easy to use and comfortable. Patients are never more than a phone call away from our pharmacy’s guidance and care. And the at-home model can help ease the burden on a stressed health care system.”
“Phosphorus is excited to team up with Albertsons Cos. in this partnership,” said Alex Bisignano, Co-Founder and CEO of Phosphorus. “Easy, accessible testing is key to containing the spread of the virus, and Albertsons Cos. is leading the delivery of that.”
In October, Albertsons Cos. expects to have rolled out the offering to all the market areas it serves. The test has received Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA for the detection of COVID-19.
The process for obtaining a test is simple. From their home, patients complete a short online questionnaire at scheduletest.com that is reviewed by a local Albertsons Companies pharmacist. The patient is then contacted by the pharmacy to schedule a pickup or delivery. Patients showing symptoms should not pick up their own test; they must send a representative or choose delivery.
The patient completes the saliva sample collection and sends it to the lab via the kit’s prepaid next-day shipping envelope. The results are delivered by email or text, typically within 72 hours or less from the time the lab receives the test.
Currently, the pharmacy cannot bill insurance directly for the test; all payment is out of pocket. Patients may be able to submit their receipt to insurance for reimbursement.
After the patient learns of the results, an Albertsons Companies pharmacist is available for questions regarding follow-up care.
Phosphorus is a leading genomics firm headquartered in New York City with a laboratory in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Phosphorus laboratory is CLIA and CAP certified and licensed for testing in all 50 states. It has re-oriented its operations to focus on COVID-19 testing in order to bring its sensitive testing methodologies and extensive experience in genomics to this public health crisis.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under 20 well-known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen and Carrs. Albertsons Cos. is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2019 alone, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the company gave $225 million in food and financial support. In 2020, the Albertsons Cos. made a $53 million commitment to community hunger relief efforts and a $5 million commitment to organizations supporting social justice. These efforts have helped millions of people in the areas of hunger relief, education, cancer research and treatment, social justice and programs for people with disabilities and veterans' outreach.
About Phosphorus
Phosphorus's mission is to improve human health by better understanding and harnessing the power of the human genome. Having built the most comprehensive, high-quality, and cost-effective portfolio of genetic tests, Phosphorus is able to increase access and quality of care in the burgeoning field of genomics. The company currently provides panel-based, constitutional genetic testing in the specialty areas of Fertility, Cardiology, Lipidology, Oncology, Pharmacogenetics, Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Pediatric/Metabolic disorders. Phosphorus also offers the PhosphorusONE proactive health screen - the most comprehensive genomic test for taking a proactive look at your health. Additionally, Phosphorus provides the Elements™ software platform to enable any laboratory to easily deploy any of the Phosphorus genetic tests on-premise as a local solution. For more information, please visit our website at phosphorus.com.
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