ArticleJournal of primary care & community health
Streptococcus A Rapid Diagnostic Testing in England Community Pharmacies: Clinical and Economic Impact of Empowering Pharmacists in Management of Sore Throat.
Article in Journal of primary care & community health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Point-of-care testing in community pharmacies to improve antimicrobial stewardship in respiratory infections: a scoping review of effectiveness, implementation and cost-effectiveness.JAC-antimicrobial resistance · 2026Review
- Pharmacist-Led Diagnostics: A New Frontier in Antimicrobial Stewardship.Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Counseling in Sore Throat Management According to Patients and Pharmacists.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMany patients with sore throat receive antibiotics from their general practitioners (GPs); however, only a minority are affected by bacterial infection, often streptococcal A (Strep A). Rapid diagnostic test can improve diagnosis, guide treatment decisions and direct patients when required for appropriate self-care. This study investigates the potential benefit of Strep A rapid tests in pharmacies for sore throat patients, with the aim of maximising healthcare resources.
methodsParticipants over 16 years old were screened using FeverPAIN scores, and those with high scores were tested for Strep A. To estimate avoided GP visits, participants completed a questionnaire on treatment choice (Accident & Emergency (A&E) GP visit, pharmacist, self-care) if the diagnostic service was unavailable. RESULTS AND
conclusionMajority (86%) tested negative. The questionnaire revealed that 67% could avoid GP visits. When extrapolated to the UK, this could result in an estimated annual saving of £263 million for the National Health Service (NHS) Despite not being recommended for routine use by NICE, the study suggests that such rapid diagnostic testing for Strep A, combined with FeverPAIN screening, could prevent antimicrobial misuse, alleviate NHS pressure and empower pharmacists. This is particularly relevant considering the recent implementation of the pharmacy-first service.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.