Media Coverage

Prescription and illicit drug testing rates declined during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to a study published in the journal Population Health Management. Harvey W Kaufman, MD, MBA, FCAP, senior medical director, information ventures and office of chief medical officer at Quest Diagnostics conducted the study along with colleagues.

Quest Diagnostics had been preparing for 2020 for two years. As one of the top medical-testing providers in the nation, it first launched its consumer-initiated testing program, QuestDirect, at the end of 2018. Through it, consumers can visit the company's website and order at-home testing kits for 49 different conditions.

Nearly six years after launching a joint venture with IQVIA’s contract research progenitor, Quintiles, Quest Diagnostics is handing over the remainder of its minority share in return for $760 million in cash.

Quest Diagnostics is offering $0 out-of-pocket testing. Drive-thru testing is available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. Partnering with Walmart locations, appointments can be made through Quest Diagnostics’ online portal.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected diagnostic testing much like it did other parts of the healthcare delivery system — it demanded completely novel approaches at some points, and merely accelerated trends underway at others. In other words, an evolution became a revolution. That revolution, according to Quest Diagnostics Chief Medical Officer Jay Wohlgemuth, MD, can be categorized by just a few words, most notably “convenience.”