From 1 August, people without basic medical training will not be allowed to take a corona test in the canton of Zurich. This causes problems for pharmacists.
positive or negative? Over the past two years, thousands of corona tests have been conducted in practices, pharmacies and testing centers by doctors, nurses and assistants without medical training. The latter is no longer allowed to do so from 1 August, e.g. Writes “NZZ am Sonntag”.
The Health Department of the Canton of Zurich is reorganizing the implementation of rapid antigen tests and PCR tests: from the beginning of August, these can only be performed by people with basic medical training. This includes medical students and practicing assistants in addition to fully trained doctors and nursing staff. To meet the high demand for tests, testing centers and pharmacies also hired people who were trained to take tests but had no basic medical training.
As “NZZ am Sonntag” continues to write, the union of several Zurich pharmacies and pharmacists has protested the health department’s new order. But he rejected the appeal. “The health police’s interest in the immediate implementation of quality requirements outweighs the economic interest of applicants,” the health department said.
As the Health Department told “NZZ am Sonntag”, there were shortcomings in the implementation of corona tests in various areas, for example in the safety of staff and those tested. Because quality is of great importance, the rules have been adjusted according to the health department. In addition, there are risks involved in sampling and false negative tests will have consequences for the individuals concerned and for public health.
Pharmacist sees testing capacity at risk
A pharmacist who hired an unemployed former hotelier to take exams and can no longer hire him to carry out nasal swabs fears the health department’s new rule will “renewal of the pandemic”. Will jeopardize testing capabilities in the event of an outbreak. “, as” NZZ on Sunday ” calls it. Also it is difficult to find replacements for assistants without basic medical training due to the lack of skilled workers.
In other cantonments, this regulation has been in force for a long time, and rapid antigen and PCR tests are always carried out by medical staff. One canton in which tests are still performed by non-medical staff who are trained to perform them is the canton of Bern.
Between July 11 and July 17 (currently, figures are announced once a week, most recently on July 20), 45 percent of all tests conducted were positive. that matches 1878 new positive cases.
