Health Mart Pharmacies Offer Free COVID-19 Testing

5/14/2020

Health Mart Pharmacies Offer Free COVID-19 Testing

As 60% of Health Mart pharmacies serve low-income neighborhoods, they have teamed with HHS to provide free COVID-19 tests to the public

Health Mart pharmacies have begun offering free COVID-19 test collection in select pharmacies across the country for rural and underserved populations. As 60% of Health Mart pharmacies serve low-income neighborhoods, they have formed a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide testing to the public at no charge.

The participating Health Mart pharmacies are providing curbside or drive-thru testing options from the patient’s car, with some locations offering walk-up testing. The test is administered by the patient with a nasal swab, and once the sample kit is sealed, Health Mart staff submit it to the lab for processing. Results are ready in three to five business days.

“We need widespread coronavirus testing now,” said Nancy Lyons, chief pharmacist for Health Mart, an independent pharmacy franchise with more than 5,000 community pharmacies across all 50 states. “We all want life to return to normal, and one way to help is more COVID-19 testing, even in rural areas. We’re proud to serve our community in these efforts to fight this virus.”

All Health Mart coronavirus test collection sites can be found at DoINeedACovid19Test.com. The online portal enables consumers to make test collection appointments at nearby locations after answering a few questions about their symptoms.

The select Health Mart pharmacies offer appointment-based COVID-19 test collection for pre-screened individuals. Locations offering the test include Lifeline Baltimore Pharmacy, Baltimore; Gristedes Supermarkets Pharmacy, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Renue Rx, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas; OK’Care Pharmacy, Las Vegas; Hayat Pharmacy, Milwaukee; Apollo Specialty Pharmacy, Philadelphia; and Grubb’s Southeast, Grubb’s of DC and Morgan Care Pharmacy, Washington, D.C.