Cone Health Launched Pharmacy Flu Test-and-Treat Pilot
The health system now offers direct testing and treatment services at two North Carolina pharmacies.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Healthcare
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Would you prefer to get flu testing and treatment at a pharmacy instead of a clinic?
Cone Health began a pilot program for flu testing and treatment at two pharmacy locations in Burlington and Greensboro. The service aims to mitigate patient access challenges during peak flu season when primary and urgent care facilities hit capacity.
Why it matters
By shifting standard viral care to a pharmacy setting, the pilot seeks to reduce the operational strain on traditional clinics during periods of high demand. This model aims to maintain patient care continuity and efficiency when medical offices face volume bottlenecks.
The pilot program encompasses two pharmacy locations within the Cone Health system, specifically at the Alamance Regional Medical Center and the Steven D. Bell Family Heart & Vascular Center. The total capacity and expected patient volume for the service remain to be disclosed.
The players
Cone Health
A Greensboro-based health system that operates hospitals, specialty centers, and pharmacy services across North Carolina.
The details
The program integrates point-of-care flu testing and clinical treatment directly into the existing pharmacy workflow. This configuration allows patients to bypass traditional office intake processes by receiving screening and clinical guidance on-site. By embedding these services at the point of dispensing, the system converts standard pharmacy visits into a clinical touchpoint designed to offload urgent care units.
Timeline
October 1, 2026: Cone Health began the flu test-and-treat pilot program.
Market Landscape
This pilot follows the retail pharmacy clinical service expansion trend by decentralizing routine diagnostic care to improve system throughput. It mirrors industry-wide efforts to offload standard viral testing from clinical settings to lower-acuity pharmacy environments.
Operators in the healthcare space should monitor this pilot as a potential benchmark for managing seasonal surge capacity without adding fixed clinic costs. Determine if your own operational model can absorb routine diagnostic screening to free up high-acuity capacity.
The takeaway
Cone Health is testing whether pharmacy-based triage can effectively relieve pressure on urgent care centers during flu season. Managers should track the success of this pilot to see if it provides a viable, low-overhead model for handling seasonal patient volume spikes.
Further reading
For additional context on provider-led care models, visit the Healthcare section.
Live Poll
Would you prefer to get flu testing and treatment at a pharmacy instead of a clinic?
