Local drugstore chain Mercury Drug Corp., in partnership with AstraZeneca and Diabetes Philippines, said on Wednesday it aims to delay “end cases” of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by offering early detection through free urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) screening.
“Our goal is to be able to identify who among these patients or Filipinos could potentially have kidney disease because kidney disease is asymptomatic,” said Cyril Joseph P. Tolosa, director of AstraZeneca Philippines Medical Affairs. businessworld in an interview.
“Being able to get yourself tested or screened gives you an opportunity to address kidney disease early,” he said.
The UACR test is a non-invasive procedure that measures the amount of albumin, a type of protein, in the urine relative to creatinine, a waste product. Detecting amounts of protein leaked into the urine may indicate a “serious early warning sign” of kidney stress that requires prompt intervention.
“The problem with kidney disease is that if you address it too late, there's not much you can do,” Mr. Tolosa said. “This patient will simply progress to dialysis which is the worst thing that can happen to this patient.”
Diabetes Philippines treasurer Rey D.F. Rosales said early detection, like the UACR test, can slow or stop dialysis treatment.
“If a patient has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, we classify them based on their risk of progressing to end-stage kidney disease,” he explains. businessworld On the occasion of launch.
“We want early detection so that we can identify the stage of CKD the patient is in and manage it appropriately to delay it,” he said.
Free UACR testing is available at four Mercury Drug branches, specifically, Pavilion Mall and Shangri-La Plaza in Mandaluyong, Trinoma Mall in Quezon City, and Noveleta, Cavite.
The free trial aims to benefit more than 13,000 Filipinos nationwide.
“Anyone who comes to this Mercury Drug branch can take advantage of the screening. They don't need to bring anything, they don't need to show anything,” Mr Tolosa said.
“The health care professional, especially the nurse, will request them to provide their urine in a cup and once they are able to provide the sample, they will be tested for UACR and the nurse will advise the patient as needed,” he said.
According to the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI), 64,845 dialysis patients were recorded in 2024, a 22% increase from the previous year. The most common cases of kidney disease included hypertensive nephrosclerosis (33.07%), diabetic nephropathy (30.04%), and chronic glomerulonephritis (12.20%).— Almira Louise S. Martinez