Can I Get an Over-the-Counter Strep Test?

Over-the-counter strep tests aren’t yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for non-medical professionals. You may see at-home tests for sale, but they usually can only be sold to a licensed health provider, or you may find non-FDA-approved products, which could be inaccurate.

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Options for At-Home Strep Tests

Strep throat, an infection caused by group A Streptococcus bacteria, is usually diagnosed by one of two tests in your healthcare provider’s office:

• A rapid test: Using a swab, your provider collects saliva from the back of the throat and tonsils and runs a test within minutes to check for antigens that are common to group A strep bacteria.
• A throat culture: Your provider collects a swabbed sample from the throat. It’s then left to incubate for 24-48 hours in a lab to see if the bacteria grow, indicating there are live group A strep in the sample.

At-home strep tests exist, but FDA-approved versions are only available to a licensed provider. In some instances, you may be able to work with a provider via a telemedicine appointment, and they might arrange an at-home test taken under their guidance. This requires you to take a swab sample of your throat on your own at home and use the kit to check the results.

Some providers will diagnose strep throat via a telehealth appointment based on symptoms and a visual exam (that may include uploading photos). In these instances, you do not need to collect a saliva sample.

Where to Find an At-Home Strep Test

If the FDA approves a home strep test kit, it is likely to become widely available. You may be able to buy at-home strep tests either online or in pharmacies before this formal approval.

Make sure you buy the kit from a reputable outlet. The kits should be the same as those distributed to healthcare professionals.

When to Take an At-Home Strep Test

If you or your child has a sore throat with a fever, an at-home test could help you determine the best course of treatment or, if you’re working with a telemedicine provider, get prescription treatment without the risk of infecting anyone else.

At-home tests may be particularly useful for children between 5 and 15 years old.

• Up to about 25% of sore throats in children are due to strep.
• While still rare, these children are at a higher risk of developing rheumatic fever or other conditions that can damage various organs, including the heart and kidneys
• Strep throat in adults and children under age 3 is more likely to resolve without treatment.

At-Home Strep Test Instructions

At-home rapid test kits generally follow a similar set of instructions but read the directions carefully before you proceed.

Instructions may vary by test, but typically, steps for a traditional rapid strep test include the following:

• Mix two vials of liquid into a tube.
• Use the swab included in the kit to collect a sample of mucus from the back of the throat and swirl it into the tube.
• Immediately, add a few drops of the mixture to a test strip or a small well.
• The test will show results after a few minutes: Usually, the test strip has a control line. If another line appears after you put the sample on the test strip, even if it’s faint, that is a positive result for strep A. If no line appears, the result is negative.

Generally, you have about 15 minutes to read the results before the test is no longer valid.

Remember that although these tests are generally accurate when done correctly, they are not 100% reliable and can give you a false positive (indicating the illness exists when it does not) or a false negative.

How Accurate Is an At-Home Strep Test

Done correctly, at-home strep tests accurately detect strep about 86% of the time, according to a 2016 study. A negative test is estimated to be accurate about 95% of the time.

False-negative results, in which strep throat is present but the test shows it is not, can occur. If the test is negative, you may still choose to consult a healthcare provider to confirm the result or to find out what is causing the symptoms.

Up to 15% of children may have strep but no symptoms. A healthcare provider may determine these children do not need prescription treatment.

Treating Strep Throat With Antibiotics

Unlike a sore throat caused by a virus, strep can be treated with antibiotics. Treatment can shorten the illness, stop the spread of it to others, and prevent serious but rare complications.

A healthcare provider will usually prescribe a course of antibiotics that are taken for 10 days to kill the strep bacteria.

While an at-home rapid strep throat test will give you a result in minutes, you’ll need to contact a healthcare provider for a diagnosis of the infection and to get a prescription for antibiotics.

Key Takeaways

• Avoid using over-the-counter strep tests that are available to the general public since these are not regulated and the quality and accuracy of the tests are not reliable.
• If you can’t get to a doctor’s office to get tested, talk to your healthcare provider about getting a prescription home strep test that you can use under the provider’s care.
• Avoid interactions with others if you think you’re contagious, and seek treatment with prescription antibiotics.