Rite Aid has become the first pharmacy chain the U.S. to sell Harmonyx genetic testing, under an agreement announced Thursday.
Tests are available in all Rite Aid stores other than those in New York state, the Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based company said. That’s nearly 4,000 locations, according to Memphis, Tennessee-based Harmonyx.
This is not a direct-to-consumer offering, according to a Harmonyx spokesperson. Physicians licensed in the state where the specimen is collected must order the tests.
Initially, Rite Aid is offering Harmonyx tests to help patients determine whether prescription drugs for three disease areas — cardiac conditions, cholesterol and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — are appropriate for them, based on genetics.
After a physician diagnoses one of the covered conditions and prescribes medication, the patient can request a Harmonyx genetic test at Rite Aid. Patients self-administer the swab test, the turn the specimen over to a Rite Aid pharmacist, who forwards the sample to Harmonyx. The testing company then reports the results directly to the ordering physician.
“By offering Harmonyx genetic testing to our customers, we’re helping to ensure that the medication they are taking is the most effective medication to help them treat and manage their condition while avoiding unnecessary and potentially harmful side effects,” Rite Aid’s executive vice president of pharmacy, Jocelyn Konrad, said.
The timing of this announcement is interesting in that larger rival Walgreens recently confirmed that it would acquire Rite Aid.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Consumer-facing genetic testing company Pathway Genomics famously had plans to sell its kits through Walgreens stores in 2010, but the Food and Drug Administration immediately started asking questions. Walgreens shut down the partnership within 48 hours.
The FDA in 2013 also asked 23andMe to stop selling its “spit kits” directly to consumers.
