Can I buy a hepatitis C rapid test over the counter at a pharmacy?
So far, rapid tests for hepatitis C are not available in pharmacies. There are some providers on the Internet who offer hepatitis C rapid tests. However, these are sometimes very expensive and are not considered reliable. If a hepatitis infection is suspected, a test should be carried out by a doctor or the public health department. This test is usually much cheaper and the costs may even be covered by health insurance.
Can this be done at home or can it only be done by a doctor?
In principle, a hepatitis C test can be performed at home. However, this should not be recommended and instead a test should be carried out by a doctor or the public health department. Here an accurate and reliable result can be expected. In addition, there is the possibility to inform and advise about the disease and a possible treatment.
Implementation
Since the available tests work differently in each case, the enclosed instructions should always be followed. For most tests, a lancet is used to apply a small prick to a previously disinfected area of the fingertip. The first drop of blood is wiped off and the next drop of blood is applied to the test strip.
The blood must now be mixed with the test solution. After a waiting period of about 20 minutes, the result can be read off the test strip. Some tests detect hepatitis in saliva instead of in blood. In this case, saliva is applied to the test strip in the same way as blood.
Evaluation
Before reading the test result, it is important to wait about 20 minutes, depending on the test. Reading too early may result in a false negative. The evaluation of the Hepatitis C Rapid Test works similar to a pregnancy test.
Two lines may appear on the test strip. One is the control line. This should always appear, because a missing line indicates that the test has not worked. If the test result is positive, a second line will also appear.
