OTC diagnostics used to be a niche corner of the pharmacy shelf. That's changed. At-home testing went from an emergency stopgap to something people expect to have on hand, and the demand hasn't slowed down. COVID-19 tests opened the door, but flu, strep, and combination kits have followed the same pattern: people would rather know before they show up somewhere than find out after.

That shift has changed who's ordering, not just how much. Employers keep OTC tests on hand to hand out to staff before a shift. Schools and universities stock them in health offices and dorms so students can test on their own schedule instead of waiting on an appointment. Clinics and pharmacies use them the same way — something a patient takes home rather than something administered on-site. It's testing on the buyer's timeline, not the clinic's.

We keep OTC test kits in stock year-round across every major brand — so a preference for a specific label doesn't turn into a backorder. And because demand in this category can spike fast — a local outbreak, the start of a school year, a seasonal wave — we're set up to expedite shipping when the timeline is tight, not just when it's convenient for us.