Coronavirus NSW: Bella Vista Natural Therapies investigated for selling at-home test kits for $130
The state’s health watchdog has been asked to investigate a Sydney naturopath offering patients $130 at-home COVID-19 swab kits on social media — slammed as “extremely irresponsible” by a top doctor.
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The state’s health watchdog has been asked to investigate a Sydney naturopath offering patients $130 at-home COVID-19 swab kits — slammed as “extremely irresponsible” by a top doctor.
Bella Vista Natural Therapies has posted social media ads saying: “We can now order in COVID-19 testing kits due to the increased need and demand of testing Corona virus.”
“These tests can either be sent directly to your home address or to our clinic for drive through collection.”
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The COVID-19 swab kits are sent to a private lab in Melbourne for processing.
When first contacted by The Daily Telegraph, owner Athena-Diana Mund said the $130 kits were great for elderly people who want the peace of mind that they don’t have coronavirus.
The business first advertised the kits on April 15.
Australian Medical Association NSW president Dr Kean-Seng Lim said the handing out of tests via naturopaths was “extremely irresponsible”.
“These tests should always be ordered by a medical professional and interpreted by a medical professional. You should receive advice for coronavirus or any other illness from someone who is appropriately qualified,” Dr Lim said.
Ms Mund last night denied she facilitated the drive-through collection of the COVID-19 tests, stating that the kit was supplied to the patient by NutriPATH in Melbourne.
She said she was a registered nurse and midwife with pathology training.
Dr Lim responded: “COVID testing is not just about the test. It’s a lot more complicated and something that even if you are a registered nurse doesn’t mean you have the skills or knowledge about coronavirus.”
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said his department would refer the matter to the Health Care Complaints Commission for investigation.
The federal Department of Health told The Daily Telegraph the matter would also be sent to the Therapeutic Goods Administration because the testing kits were not supposed to be supplied to naturopaths.
“The supply of self-tests for most serious infectious diseases, including self-tests for COVID-19, is prohibited under the Therapeutic Goods (Excluded Purposes) Specification 2010,” a TGA spokesman said.
“There are a series of conditions imposed by the TGA on the supply of point-of-care serology-based COVID-19 tests. These may only be supplied to certain specified health professionals which does not include naturopaths.”
A NutriPATH spokesman said it was important naturopaths followed guidelines when giving out tests. “Patients do the swab at home and then give it to the practitioner (the naturopath) who then gives it to us. The actual test is done in the laboratory,” the spokesman said.