The medical association has agreed on this with the Ministry of Health and social security, as the professional representative announced to the APA on Friday. These free PCR tests are to be rolled out “in the next few days”, just like in pharmacies.
When and where exactly they are offered depends on regional options. We still have to build the infrastructure with the laboratories and the logistics, it was said in the medical chamber. As a rule, the free PCR tests are offered by those medical professionals who are already performing the paid tests.
It is not only possible to get a doctor’s doctor’s test, but also the gurgle tests that are currently used in Vienna in particular. The latter would then have to be carried out under the supervision of the doctor.
Registration in pharmacies required
While registration for the free PCR tests is required in pharmacies, this can be handled differently by doctors. That is “the doctor’s free decision”, whether he requests registration or whether the patient can just come to him.
For the time being, in most cases, the laboratory will notify the patients of the results of the tests by SMS or email. If this is not possible, the notification can also come from the doctor in rarer cases. However, the plan is to establish a separate platform for this, which will then take care of it. But that will take some time, it said in the medical chamber.
Edgar Wutscher, the chairman of the general medicine section in the medical association, explained that PCR tests in private practice deliver “effective results” which are then valid for 72 hours. In cooperation with the laboratories, the results are mostly available within 24 hours. “In terms of a sterling supply of PCR test offers, it is of course a logical step that in future free PCR tests will also be offered in the practices of resident doctors,” emphasized Wutscher in a broadcast.
