Ichor Blood Services Partners with DrugSmart Pharmacy and Travel Health Now to Increase Covid-19 PCR Test Accessibility in Ontario
Ichor also launches Ichor East with plans to fill an important gap in the healthcare system for years to come
TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 /CNW/ - Ichor Blood Services, a private Covid-19 test facilitator based in Calgary, has partnered with DrugSmart Pharmacy and Travel Health Now to add brick and mortar specimen collection sites in Ontario for private Covid-19 PCR testing. DrugSmart and Travel Health Now locations will exclusively offer StageZero Life Sciences asymptomatic saliva-based PCR testing to its customers.
"We have been searching for a partnership like this for several months and we are pleased to bring DrugSmart and Travel Health Now into our supply chain," said Mike Kuzmickas, Chief Executive Officer of Ichor. "With our recent Air Canada approval for travel testing to Hawaii, ongoing testing for travel to China and Barbados, as well as a growing corporate testing program, it was critical to establish reliable operations in Ontario to support growing demand. This new partnership is expected to add an additional 120-150 saliva collections per day to our capacity."
DrugSmart and Travel Health Now operate brick and mortar locations in the Toronto, Ottawa, Peterborough, and Kingston areas, as well as a comprehensive virtual service platform that includes a virtual "walk in" clinic, same day local delivery, virtual pharmacy, and much more.
"With a planned launch date of January 4th, 2021, we are excited to work with a partner like Ichor, which has the same focus and commitment to patient care and safety," said Irfan Jetha, Chief Executive Officer of DrugSmart Pharmacy Group. "This is a natural tie in with our travel health and pharmacy services. Our teams are ready to deliver."
Ichor has also launched Ichor East, which will manage Eastern Canadian operations. Ichor East will open an office in the GTA in January, with a planned capacity of 100 additional collections per day. The Ichor East office will also complete blood draws for the purposes of IgM/IgG antibody testing similar to other Ichor locations across Canada.
While Ichor is establishing brick and mortar locations across the country to serve the demand for private Covid-19 testing, Kuzmickas believes the facilities will continue to fill an important gap in the healthcare system for years to come.
"If you look at what Covid-19 has done to our economy and to provincial budgets, it's clear that our healthcare system will require support that may not have been necessary before the pandemic," said Kuzmickas. "Our longer-term goal has always been to provide access to private specimen collection services and testing to relieve some of the public health burden. Prenatal screenings, cancer screenings, and collections for research studies are all things that we can offer the market with the infrastructure we are building."
About Ichor Blood Services
Ichor Blood Services is an Alberta based, private, lab specimen collection service company that offers Canadians access to US based diagnostic tests. Their current focus is on covid-19 testing with plans to unveil additional test offerings in 2021.
For more information visit: ichorblood.ca
About Travel Health Now
Travel Health Now is a team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and travellers. Through innovation in virtual travel medicine and a team of exceptional healthcare providers, it is their mission to prepare every traveller to confidently explore the world.
For more information visit: travelhealthnow.ca
About DrugSmart Pharmacy Group
DrugSmart Pharmacy is a group of independently owned pharmacies driven to provide its customers with the highest level of service and care. DrugSmart has a strong focus on developing new and innovative concepts in their field and staying on top of emerging trends. Their family history facilitates a humbled, patient-first approach to all decisions.
For more information visit: drugsmartpharmacy.ca
SOURCE Ichor Blood Services
Peter Pilarski, 4034621160, [email protected]
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