Rite Aid Drug Stores Offering OTC DNA Paternity Test Kits

Rite Aid drug stores are offering DNA identification testing kits over the counter following a trial of the product late last year, according to the testing kits supplier Identigene.

The Identigene DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit was the first DNA test ever sold in retail stores when it was offered on a trial basis beginning November 2007 in California, Washington, and Oregon, according to the company, based in Salt Lake City. It said yesterday that demand has been very strong, which prompted the Rite Aid deal to make the kit available for over-the-counter purchase at the chain's 4,363 stores in 30 states and the District of Columbia, all of its locations except for those in New York state. Identigene said it anticipates the kits will be sold in New York state at a later date.

In the past, to obtain a DNA paternity test often required involvement of doctors or lawyers, weeks of waiting for results, and a cost of multiple hundreds of dollars, the supplier said.

With the Identigene kit, users of the test collect a DNA sample by rubbing a swab inside their mouth. The samples, along with consent forms and a lab fee, are sent in an enclosed postage-paid return envelope to Identigene for processing. Results are available within three to five business days of receipt, the company said.

Suggested retail price for an Identigene DNA Paternity Test Collection Kit is $29.99, and the laboratory processing fee is $119.
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