Sore throat in France: pharmacy tests can see if your need antibiotics
They can determine if you need antibiotics or not
The TROD test is used to determine what kind of sore throat the patient has
Orawan Pattarawimonchai / Shutterstock
Winter is rife with sore throats; if you fall victim, it can be useful to ascertain what is causing it to ensure best treatment.
In France, rapid sore throat diagnostic tests – tests rapides d’orientation diagnostique (TROD) des angines – are available at pharmacies to check whether a patient has tonsillitis or strep throat.
Pharmacists have been able to carry out the tests since July 2024 for adults and children over 10, without them needing a prior medical consultation.
The aim is to make it easier to get treatment for common conditions in so-called ‘medical deserts’, lessen GPs’ workload and reduce antibiotic use by ensuring they are given only to those who need them.
The TROD test is used to determine what kind of sore throat the patient has. A positive test means the sore throat is bacterial, and antibiotics are needed. Pharmacists are allowed to dispense certain antibiotics in this case.
If the test is negative, the sore throat is viral, and antibiotics will not help.
When performed at a pharmacy, the TROD test costs between €6 and €7 and is reimbursed up to 70% by health insurance (the remaining 30% is covered by your supplemental health insurance). They are free if taken at a GP.
Tonsillitis and strep symptoms include a sore, red throat or tonsils, pain when swallowing, swollen or tender lymph nodes in the neck, fever and muscle aches.
The pharmacist will usually visually inspect the throat first, before taking a sample from the tonsils using a cotton swab.
They put the swab in a tube, add a few drops of liquid and swirl it. Then they put a strip into the tube, which will turn a different colour after five to 10 minutes.
One line on the strip means the test is negative, the patient has a viral sore throat and does not need antibiotics.
Two lines mean the test is positive, the sore throat is caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria and antibiotics are needed.
Adults who cannot take the test include those who are immunosuppressed (eg. have HIV or are undergoing chemotherapy), pregnant or the elderly with a high temperature, or those with a similar sore throat that has been treated with antibiotics within the last month.
Most sore throats are viral; viral tonsillitis accounts for 60 to 75% of cases in children and 75 to 90% of cases in adults.
