NEW YORK — Grocery firm Albertsons Companies said on Thursday that it has signed an agreement to offer Phosphorus' at-home SARS-CoV-2 saliva test kits at its in-store pharmacies throughout the US.
Phosphorus' COVID-19 RT-qPCR Test is designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva specimens collected either by healthcare providers or by patients at home using OraSure Technologies' DNA Genotek's Oragene Dx OGD-510 collection kit. The test received Emergency Use Authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration in June and may be performed only by New York City-based Phosphorus.
Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons said that it saw rapid adoption of the test kit during a pilot rollout in Houston, Austin, and Boise and that it now intends to offer the test in all of its market areas by the end of October. Albertsons operates stores in 34 US states and the District of Columbia.
To obtain a test kit, individuals complete an online questionnaire that is reviewed by an Albertsons pharmacist. Customers either pick up the test or have it delivered, complete the saliva sample collection process, and send the sample to Phosphorus' lab in Secaucus, New Jersey. Test results are provided through email or text within 72 hours, and Albertsons pharmacists are available for follow-up care questions.
Albertsons said that it cannot bill customers' insurance directly for the test kits, which cost $139.99.