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Rite Aid memory test draws fire

Memory tests given at Rite Aid Corp. drug stores as an early warning for Alzheimers are drawing fire from doctors.

By Sonali Basak | Updated on June 10, 2014
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
June 10 (Bloomberg) — Memory tests given at Rite Aid Corp. drug stores as an early warning for Alzheimer’s are drawing fire from doctors who say they don’t work well and may cause unwarranted fear among people who don’t have the disease.

The drugstore chain is making the tests available this month at more than 4,000 sites in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, a nonprofit advocacy group. The 5- to 10-minute test of oral and written questions screens for early memory loss, including types tied to Alzheimer’s and dementia, according to the foundation.

The screenings raise disease awareness and may spur a consumer to see a doctor early, said Carol Steinberg, the foundation president. Some physicians, though, argue the tests can be inaccurate and that people who do poorly may spend time and money worrying about a disease they don’t have. They urge the tests be given in a medical setting, so the results are assessed by a professional trained in memory loss detection.

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