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ColonCancerCheck

Expiry Dates - FOBT Kits

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the shelf-life of ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Tests?
• How can I tell what the expiry date is on a ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test kit?
• Some of my patients may have an expired ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test kit at home. If they complete it, will the test still be processed by the laboratory?
• Should patients be reminded to complete the kits?
• If kits are expiring at end of February, end of May and end of July, when is the last date I can dispense them respectively?
• Do non-ColonCancerCheck kits have an expiry date as well?
  

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What is the shelf-life of ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Tests?

ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Tests (FOBTs) have a shelf-life of three years.

 

How can I tell what the expiry date is on a ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test kit?

The expiry date is found on the bottom of the FOBT card on the site that says "Do Not Open".

The kit is expired at the end of the month listed as the expiry date. For example, if the expiry date on the kit is February 2011, the kit is expired as of February 28, 2011.

 

Some of my patients may have an expired ColonCancerCheck Fecal Occult Blood Test kit at home. If they complete it, will the test still be processed by the laboratory?

No, laboratories will not process a ColonCancerCheck FOBT kit once it has expired. For example, FOBT kits with an expiry date of February 2011 arriving at the laboratories on or after March 1, 2011 will not be tested.

The laboratory will notify the family physician or nurse practitioner that the test was rejected and needs to be repeated. Patients will receive a letter from ColonCancerCheck advising them to obtain a replacement kit from their family physician or nurse practitioner, or from Telehealth Ontario or their local pharmacy if they do not have a family physician or nurse practitioner.

 

Should patients be reminded to complete the kits?

If your records show you have patients who received but did not complete an FOBT, it is recommended that you contact them to remind them about completing the test. In February and March 2011, ColonCancerCheck is launching a Screening Activity Report initiative to physicians in Patient Enrolment Models. This new report will show patients who received but have not completed their FOBT.

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If kits are expiring at end of February, end of May and end of July, when is the last date I can dispense them respectively?

• Expiry date of February 2011 - please dispose of these kits
• Expiry date of May 2011 - dispense by end of February 2011
• Expiry date of July 2011 - dispense by end of April 2011

 

Do non-ColonCancerCheck kits have an expiry date as well?

Yes, non-ColonCancerCheck kits also have an expiry date.  Family physicians and nurse practitioners should also check their inventory of non-ColonCancerCheck FOBTs and ensure that patients have enough time to complete and submit the kit to the laboratory for processing.

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