Convenience equals growth

Sales of home-testing kits, not including pregnancy test kits or ovulation test kits, have grown just under 8% over the past year, according to Angie Echele, VP at Genesis Sales and Marketing. And as pharmacy continues to realize its role as a community healthcare hub, the business of home-testing kits is only going to grow, Echele added.


“Many families choose a 
pharmacy for flu shots, immunizations and school physicals because pharmacies are approachable and offer a familiar environment,” she said. But there are many other services that pharmacies have yet to tap into — collecting and processing specimen samples for test kits sold off of the shelf may be one opportunity to expand health-related services, she said.


Two of the more recent product introductions into the market, Identigene’s DNA paternity test and STD test, have been doing well. Sales of the DNA paternity test kit were up 19.2% in the past year, Echele said, and the STD test, though not yet back on the market, “is part of a wave of new tests striving to answer real health needs within this ‘sweet spot’ of accessibility and affordability,” Echele added. The STD test currently is undergoing FDA clinical trials, and Identigene expects to have the test back to shelf in 2012.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Diagnostics Sell-Through Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.