MADRID – In the week from July 26 to August 1, Spanish pharmacies sold 1,081,554 antigen tests against COVID-19. It was the second week in which these tests were available in Spain without a prescription.
The sale of antigen tests to take at home increased to 637% in that week compared to the last week that a prescription was still needed to buy a self-test. This is according to a report by consultancy firm IQVIA. Over-the-counter sales officially began in Spain on July 21, after publication in the Official Gazette BOE and approval by the Council of Ministers.
Most sold in Catalonia
Most of the tests were sold in Catalonia. This region leads Spain with 212,369 tests in the second week from the start of over-the-counter sales. This concerns 29.4% of the total sales in Spain. The Delta variant has made a big impact in Catalonia in the last month, which has boosted sales of self-tests.
After Catalonia, Andalusia follow with 207,074 tests, Madrid (148,044), Valencia (115,912) and Galicia (91,039).
Increased stock
The report points out that in response to high demand, pharmacies have increased their stocks, also anticipating a potential outage. Likewise, they state that the appearance of new brands for antigen testing has “tripled their sales over the course of the year.”
