Quick guide
Home testing offers a way for you to test for medical conditions in the privacy of your own home and to monitor chronic health conditions. If you use home tests, however, protect yourself against the possibility of unapproved tests, false results, and your own lack of training by following this guidance.
Make sure that you purchase your home testing device in a pharmacy. In Australia the Therapeutic Goods Authority (TGA) requires that devices sold over the counter must conform to specific quality requirements. If you buy from overseas over the internet you have no guarantee that the device will meet these requirements.
Check the expiration date. Do not buy tests if they have expired. The chemicals in the test may have lost their effectiveness, and the results may not be valid.
Follow the package directions on where and how to store the test. Don't leave temperature-sensitive tests in conditions that don't meet storage requirements.
Note and follow any special precautions before performing the test. For example, check to see when the test is to be performed (morning, evening), or under what conditions (fasting, no physical exertion, etc.).
Perform the test EXACTLY as instructed. If you have questions or are at all unsure about how to use the test, consider talking to your doctor.
Make sure you understand the meaning of the test results, and what to do about them. If you do not, talk to your doctor.
Related links
Consult the following agencies for additional information:
- Therapeutic Goods Administration
- Search for information on "Home use devices"
- American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
- US site: Home Health Care Testing
- Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)
- U.S. Consumer Information: Medical Device information
