An increasing number of Americans are turning to their local pharmacy when it comes to diagnosing certain health conditions.
With the many do-it-yourself screening kits now available, people can test their own blood or urine for a number of ailments. Many are doing so with the advice of their physician. Others are doing it out of convenience, privacy and cost, but how accurate are these tests? And how involved should a person be when it comes to running their own medical tests?
"I'm a big advocate for home testing," said Ferris Derbidge, pharmacy manager at Davis Pharmacy, located on the campus of the Davis Hospital and Medical Center. "Many advances in technology have given us a broad array of testing equipment. More than ever, we have opportunities to monitor and better manage our own health."
With that said, Derbidge added the devices are not a replacement for the good advice of physicians -- and should be used only as tools to help relay information to our own health-care providers.
Most tests are available over the counter and do not require a prescription. Insurance coverage also varies drastically. While some products have been around for years and have successfully gained coverage, other are fairly new and also very costly.
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