New Arizona Law allows patients to order Blood test without Doctor’s Referral

On Friday, an Arizona law co-authored by Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has come into effect as per which, patients can get blood test done without the need of doctor’s involvement.

It is a big win for Holmes, who has moved a step further in its ultimate mission, which is to provide consumers control over keeping a track of their health through cost-effective and comparatively painless tests.

Holmes said, “This bill demonstrates that we can facilitate a new era between physicians and patients. If people begin to engage, they can test and monitor their health before they get sick”.

With the help of just a few drops of blood collected in Theranos' patented Nanotainers, they can carry out tests. On Thursday, Theranos' testing procedures have received green signal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed the law at a heranos lab in Scottsdale in April. As per the new Arizona law, patients can order any blood test that they want without a doctor’s note. Also, the law does not let physicians get stuck in any problem as the onus of interpreting test results is on patients.

Holmes cleared that the law does not mean by any chance to cut the role of doctors. She said the bill intentionally protects physicians from any legal hassles. However, along with this they are also making sure that patients support physicians in a productive manner.

Eric Lakin, biotech analyst with DeciBio, said the bill is a big achievement for Theranos and its plans and the FDA’s approval also signifies the company’s core competency.