TTUHSC Team Successfully Produces Viral Transport Media for COVID-19 Testing

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In Texas, like many other states, there has been a significant shortage of COVID-19 testing. A critical limitation is the lack of viral transport media (VTM) needed to protect samples in transit to testing laboratories. Faculty at the TTUHSC School of Pharmacy were approached by a physician colleague at the TTUHSC School of Medicine in Amarillo to determine if they could produce their own VTM and thereby expand the capacity for COVID-19 screening. Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty members collaborated with Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty and graduate students to prepare viral transport media, first employing a WHO formula and then transitioning to a newly-released CDC formula. Thus far, the team has created nearly 7000 vials of VTM, which are being used both locally and across West Texas. ACCP members involved in this project included Mikala Conatser, Vikki (Jill) Frost, and Eric MacLaughlin.