The use of Covid-19 self-tests in Brazil was authorized by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in January. The sale of the exams by pharmacies and licensed health establishments can be made after the registration of the exams by the agency.
So far, Anvisa has not yet granted any self-test record. According to the information panel provided by the agency, with permanent updates, 56 registration requests were received. Of these, nine were denied registration. For another 12, additional data were requested for the continuity of the analysis.
In an interview with CNN this Sunday (13), the CEO of the Brazilian Association of Pharmacy and Drugstore Chains (Abrafarma), Sérgio Mena Barreto, said that Anvisa’s assessment for granting the registration follows strict criteria and that the request for additional information it’s a common thing.
“We have seen that the first orders had documentation problems, I think companies will overcome that. I had made an account in early February that it would take us at least 4 to 5 weeks to have the product available at the pharmacy. That gives us late February to early March,” she says.
According to the expert, the cost of self-tests will be lower than the tests currently carried out in pharmacies. “The price I believe will be below what is practiced in pharmacies, the pharmacy has the cost of occupation, the report, the operation itself, which is something that the user will not have. He will buy the kit at the pharmacy, take it home and solve his problem,” he said.
A survey by Abrafarma indicated that the number of positive tests for Covid-19 in pharmacies recorded a drop of 39% in the first week of February, compared to the previous week.
“It could be a reflection of the reduction of the peak of the pandemic. We used to do 750,000 tests a week, now we’re back to around 450,000 tests. In the case of pharmacies, we have a daily limit. We are talking about 4,700 Abrafarma pharmacies, which carry out up to 36 tests a day”, he adds.
The expert points out that although the number of weekly tests has shown a drop, the index remains high compared to the peak recorded in 2021.
“At the peak of May last year, we were doing 270,000 to 350,000 tests a week. We are still making 450,000, that is, it is still above the big peak of May 2021,” he says.
Check out guidelines from the Ministry of Health in the face of the diagnosis of Covid-19
Source: CNN Brasil
