Syphilis Screening
Objective: To provide a review on the use, percent positive agreement (PPA), percent negative agreement (PNA), and utilization of Syphilis Health Check for syphilis screening in community pharmacies (in coordination with public health departments) in an effort to increase overall syphilis screening in high-risk populations. Data Sources: PubMed was searched for the following keywords: syphilis, sexually transmitted diseases, diagnosis, public health, point-of-care tests. The search included all dates up to December 2016. Study Selection: Data from studies including the use of the Syphilis Health Check Rapid Immunochromatographic Test were included. Data Synthesis: There are many existing tests to aid in the diagnosis of syphilis. The Syphilis Health Check was compared with these assays using PPA and PNA, where it demonstrated a high level of accuracy in the detection of syphilis antibodies. Conclusion: The Syphilis Health Check Rapid Immunochromatographic Test is a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments–waived assay that has been shown to be easy to use and produces results in minutes. As one of the most accessible health care providers, pharmacists have an opportunity to join the fight against syphilis, and in collaboration with public health departments, screen a vast number of high-risk patients and deliver follow-up care as needed.