2007
(06/11/2007) AXA TO PILOT INNOVATIVE MEDICAL TESTING IN PHARMACIES
AXA is piloting medical screening in pharmacies for its protection products with access to innovative, non-invasive techniques including needle-free skin tests, saliva tests and hair analysis.
The screenings, which will be used when discretionary medicals or blood tests are needed, are designed to be more convenient than traditional nurse or GP appointments.
The six-month pilot is being run in conjunction with specialist testing company Gemini Biomedical and should cut turnaround times for medical information from 25-30 days for GPRs to around 10 days for pharmacy screening results, meaning even consumers with a complex medical history will get on risk more quickly.
As well as traditional screening such as height, weight, waist measurement, urine and blood, AXA will be able to request a range of cutting-edge non-invasive tests. These presently include use of oral fluid tests for smoking (cotinine), HIV, Hepatitis and recent drug use, with plans to extend their use for markers of diabetes and alcohol abuse in the near future. A few strands of hair can be tested to give an historical profile of drug and alcohol use, providing insight into lifestyle risks.
The service will soon be able to offer relief for people afraid of needles by using needle-free skin swabs to test for cholesterol, and a simple infra-red finger scan replacing an ECG to assess arterial health, helping underwriters identify people who may be at risk of heart disease.
Consumers who need screening will be contacted by Gemini Biomedical to set up a convenient appointment with their local pharmacist. All screenings will take place in private consulting rooms and will last around 20 minutes.
Mike Taylor, AXA’s Chief Underwriter, said: "As many pharmacies are open during evenings and weekends, pharmacy testing should be more convenient for most consumers who can arrange a test near their home or work, which avoids disrupting their daily routines to fit around a nurse’s or GP’s schedule.
"Faster turnaround times of results will speed up the application process for protection products, allowing us to get policies on risk more quickly."
Paul Hunter, Managing Director of Gemini Biomedical, said: "Our pilot with AXA will provide a convenient and confidential medical screening service through local pharmacies, and opportunity for differentiation in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
"Pharmacy-based screening has several advantages over traditional screening methods. For instance, a pharmacist’s knowledge of medicines means they can spot inconsistencies between illnesses reported to AXA and current drug usage, further reducing non-disclosure. It also provides the opportunity to engage applicants in proactive healthcare initiatives and education, improving the long-term morbidity and mortality experience."
The pilot will begin in November 2007 and run across the UK.
Notes to Editors
Enquiries: Helene Barnes, Media Relations Manager, AXA 0117 989 5161 or 07974 830857
About AXA
AXA UK is a part of the AXA Group. AXA Group is a worldwide leader in Financial Protection. AXA's operations are diverse geographically, with major operations in Western Europe, North America and the Asia/Pacific area. For full year 2006, IFRS revenues amounted to €79 billion and IFRS underlying earnings amounted to €4,010 million.
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AXA is a worldwide insurance group. In the UK, one of the AXA companies is AXA Sun Life Services plc, which distributes and administers financial products and services. AXA Sun Life Services plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a company limited by shares, registered in England No. 3424940, registered office: 5 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1AD. As part of our commitment to quality service, telephone calls may be recorded.
Enquiries: Jill Corkish, Gemini Biomedical 0870 757 9496 or 07775 947183