A pharmacy-based private chlamydia screening programme: results from the first 2 years of screening and treatment

Abstract

Objective: A major UK Pharmacy chain private Chlamydia screening and treatment service began in October 2006. People pay for a screening kit, send off a urine sample, and are informed of their result directly. Treatment is accessed via the pharmacy chain or the National Health Service. We analysed data from the first 2 years of the service to describe the positivity rate by age and gender, profile of users and to determine if the program succeeded in reaching those who are currently being missed in other clinical settings.

Setting: Three hundred and thirty-eight community pharmacies from a major pharmacy chain in England and Wales.

Methods: Cross sectional study of the first 2 years screening and treatment data. Data was collected on number of tests, test results, age and gender. Data was also collected on treatment uptake by age and gender. Further Data regarding the treatment service including the site, was collected on customer record forms. Positivity data was analysed using χ(2).

Results: A total of 14,378 private Chlamydia screening tests were performed in pharmacies during the 2 year period. Overall positivity rates in males (9.8%) were higher than females (6.8%). The positivity rate was significantly higher in the 16-24 age group than in the 25 and over age group. A total of 533 people accessed and paid for treatment from Boots out of a total of 1,131 people who tested positive (47.1%). Hundred and thirty three (25.0%) partners also accessed treatment.

Conclusions: The data further supports the feasibility and acceptability of pharmacy testing and treatment.