Royal College of Pathologists Opposes In-store Health Checks

The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) has joined the AMA and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia in opposing the trial of in-store health checks being made available at select Woolworths' stores across NSW and QLD.
The in-store health checks include blood pressure and point of care testing for cholesterol and are being conducted by registered nurses.
President of the RCPA, A/Prof Peter Stewart, says the College has serious concerns regarding the in-store health checks trial.
“As a medical training and professional standards body, we are acutely aware of the importance of ensuring the highest levels of training and expertise in individuals who provide health checks and conduct blood tests on patients.
"It would be inappropriate and dangerous for these health checks to be carried out by anyone who is not adequately trained and is not in a medical setting.  Importantly, these individuals should also have access to a patient’s medical history before making a diagnosis,” says Stewart.
“It is of particular concern to the RCPA that invasive blood testing is being carried out and there is no clear idea how the accuracy and quality of this testing is assured,” says Stewart.