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Empowering primary care pharmacists with rapid diagnostics: The case for ID NOW™ in managing winter respiratory pressures

Empowering primary care pharmacists with rapid diagnostics: The case for ID NOW™ in managing winter respiratory pressures

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Patients should speak with their health care providers about treatment and care options.

A perfect storm for primary care

Winter brings a surge in acute respiratory infections (ARIs) such as influenza, RSV, strep A and COVID-19. These illnesses not only increase patient morbidity but also exert immense pressure on health care systems. In the UK, hospitalisations due to ARIs are growing by 13% annually,1 and the 2024/25 season saw a 50% rise in influenza bed days — over 315,000.2 Emergency departments (EDs) are struggling, with only 73% of patients treated within four hours, far below the 95% constitutional standard.2

Primary care pharmacists are uniquely positioned to alleviate this burden. By integrating rapid molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) solutions like ID NOW™, pharmacists can transform patient management, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and optimize antimicrobial stewardship.

The role of primary care pharmacists in winter resilience

Pharmacists are increasingly recognized as frontline health care providers, especially in community and primary care settings. With the NHS promoting acute respiratory infection hubs, pharmacists can play a pivotal role in triaging patients, initiating timely treatment and preventing transmission. However, traditional diagnostic pathways, reliant on central lab PCR, are slow, often delaying clinical decision making and leading to inappropriate prescribing or unnecessary isolation.

Why ID NOW™? Speed, accuracy and impact

The ID NOW™ platform uses isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) technology and Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction (NEAR) to deliver molecular results in minutes, not hours. This speed is critical for respiratory pathogens where early intervention changes outcomes. Watch this video to learn more about the ID NOW™ technology.

Illuminating Insights Video Series | Abbott Point of Care

The GP Urgent Assessment Service (GPUAS) in South Somerset pioneered a 19-week health care pilot study with Abbott’s ID NOW™ instrument, aimed at delivering timely and effective urgent medical care. Key outcomes included:3

  • A 10% reduction in patients who would have attended ED without the test. 
  • 24% of patients who received a test for group A streptococcus (GAS) avoided hospital admission due to testing, saving around £7,935 per day.
  • Almost half (46%) of clinicians altered their course of action based on POCT results, ensuring more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans.
  • Unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions were reduced by more than one-third (37%), supporting antimicrobial stewardship efforts.
  • The use of POCT saved the system over £13,000 in resources, translating to a net gain of £6,700 after direct costs — approximately £54 per patient.

Other clinical outcomes from key studies also include: 

  • Reduced ED length of stay by 1.91 hours for influenza-positive patients compared to pre-POCT cohorts.4
  • 34.9% reduction in hospital admissions from ED.5
  • 30% reduction in antibiotics prescriptions and reduced time to administer antivirals.5
  • Improved infection prevention and control (IPC) through accurate cohorting and reduced hospital-acquired infections.6

This means faster triage, better patient counselling and more appropriate prescribing for pharmacists, within the community setting, thus reducing the burden on secondary care.

Economic value: Cost savings that matter

Beyond clinical impact, ID NOW™ delivers measurable financial benefits. A cost analysis at NHS University Hospitals of Derby and Burton showed:7

  • £215 average cost savings per patient.
  • £334,392 estimated total savings over a single winter season. Savings stem from reduced isolation costs, shorter hospital stays and fewer inappropriate antiviral prescriptions. For a cohort of 1,000 patients, ID NOW™ achieved:
    • £190,867 saved on isolation costs.
    • £46,500 saved on lab testing.
    • £6,652 saved on antiviral use.

For primary care networks (PCNs) and integrated care systems (ICS), these figures underscore the value of decentralising diagnostics to community settings.

Supporting antimicrobial stewardship

Inappropriate antibiotic use remains a global challenge. A study of 6,136 patients found 54% did not meet criteria for antibiotic treatment.8 Rapid POCT empowers pharmacists to make evidence-based decisions, reducing unnecessary prescriptions and combating antimicrobial resistance — a key NHS priority.

Expanding beyond influenza

While influenza is a major driver of winter pressures — the current season hit the NHS over a month earlier than usual and were cases three times higher than this time last year9 — ID NOW™ offers a menu of assays, covering influenza A and B, COVID-19, RSV and strep A. This versatility enables pharmacists to manage a broad spectrum of respiratory infections, supporting holistic winter resilience strategies. Due to the changing seasonality of circulating microorganisms, pharmacists can choose the most appropriate test for the patient according to presentation of symptoms.

Integrating POCT into primary care

The evidence is clear: Rapid molecular diagnostics improve patient outcomes, reduce system pressures and deliver cost savings. For primary care pharmacists, adopting ID NOW™ is not just an operational upgrade, it’s a strategic imperative.Imagine a patient presents with flu-like symptoms at your pharmacy. You then confirm influenza A, initiate antiviral therapy and advise on isolation in minutes, preventing unnecessary GP and ED visits, reducing transmission and improving patient satisfaction. This is the future of pharmacy-led care.

Winter pressures are not going away. With tools like ID NOW™, primary care pharmacists can lead the charge in delivering timely, accurate and cost-effective care. By embracing POCT, pharmacists become central to the NHS’s vision of integrated, patient-centred health care.

If you would like to understand how ID NOW™ can transform the way you manage patients at the front line, contact ctosupport@abbott.com to request a visit from your local Abbott representative.

*ID NOW Instrument and and ID NOW Influenza are in vitro medical devices. 

References:

1. NHS England. Combined adult and paediatric acute respiratory infection (ARI) hubs. 2024. Accessed July 2025. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/combined-adult-and-paediatric-acute-respiratoryinfection-ari-hubs/.

2. Alarilla A et al. Health.org.uk. 2025. Accessed July 2025. https://www.health.org.uk/reports-and-analysis/analysis/ did-the-nhsexperience-record-pressures-this-winter. 

3. Evaluation of the GP Urgent Assessment Service (GPUAS) in the South Somerset West Primary Care Network. November 2024.

4. Trabattoni E et al. Am J Emerg Med. 2018;36(6):916-921.

5. Martinot M et al. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2019;6(7):312.

6. O’Connell S et al. BMC Res Notes. 2020;13(1):143

7. Allen AJ et al. Diagn Progn Res. 2018;2:15. 

8. Havers FP et al. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(2):e180243.

9.https://www.england.nhs.uk/2025/10/early-flu-wave-could-lead-to-long-and-drawn-out-winter-for-nhs/ 

RDx-25004951 | 12 2025