Complete blood count at dm? Drugstore chain offers basic diagnostics for self-payers

Karlsruhe. The drugstore chain dm wants to enter the self-diagnosis market. Since the beginning of August, it has been offering "health services" on a trial basis in just a few stores: eye screenings, an AI-assisted skin analysis with online contact with a dermatologist, and blood tests – including tests for diabetes, early detection of cardiovascular problems, and skin nutrient supply.

The actual service is provided by cooperation partners. The Düsseldorf-based startup Skleo Health already offers AI-based eye exams at opticians and pharmacies; with dm, it could significantly expand its reach. Skin examinations are carried out by app-based doctors from the Solingen-based telemedicine company Dermanostic. And the Berlin-based provider Aware Health is responsible for blood tests, which it says even entrusts its own medical professionals with venous blood sampling in dm stores.

All examinations are marketed as self-pay services. For example, an eye test with retinal photography costs €14.95. A complete blood count costs €9.95, and a blood analysis for age-related health risks from age 35 onwards costs €16.95. Only the AI-supported skin assessment from Dermanostik is free of charge.

Ophthalmologists: AI is no guarantee for correct results

Germany's largest drugstore chain, with over 2,000 locations nationwide, announced its entry into the preventive healthcare business a year ago. CEO Christoph Werner also wants the expanded offering to be seen as a contribution "to relieving the burden on the healthcare system."

It seems inevitable that established players will object to this. First, the German Professional Association of Ophthalmologists (BVA), which insisted in a statement today, Thursday, that "eye health belongs in the hands of specialists." Eye examinations with diagnostic findings based on a self-learning algorithm are only partially reliable.

"AI support can be helpful, but it is no guarantee of accurate results and is not a validated standard in medicine and screening," emphasizes BVA Chairman Daniel Pleger. "If diseases are not detected at all or too late due to unclearly defined AI systems or because signs are outside the photo frame, this can have serious consequences." Conversely, erroneously unremarkable results could deter customers from seeking ophthalmological examinations, Pleger continues. (cw)