Every year it plays out the same way. September hits, school starts, symptomatic patients show up, and every clinic, urgent care, pharmacy, and school district in the country places test kit orders in the same six-week window. Distributors allocate. Lead times stretch. Spot prices climb. Buyers who waited pay more for less , and some go on backorder right when patient volume peaks.
The buyers who don't get squeezed are the ones who treated August as the deadline, not the warm-up.
What Happened Last Season
The 2025 to 26 respiratory season followed the pattern that's held since 2022: multiplex tests (COVID + Flu A/B, and the newer 4-in-1 panels that add RSV) sold through first, because one swab that rules out three viruses saves staff time and second visits. Single-target COVID tests stayed available longest , but they're also the tests patients and providers increasingly ask you to move past.
By late October, popular multiplex SKUs were on allocation at multiple national distributors. Facilities that had contracted pricing in place kept receiving product. Facilities buying spot took what was left.
The Case for Ordering in August
1. Price. Pre-season case pricing is the floor, not the ceiling. Once allocation starts, pricing only moves one direction.
2. Lead time. An August PO ships from stock in days. An October PO competes with every health system in the country.
3. Shelf life. Current-production rapid tests carry expiration dating that comfortably covers the full season and beyond. Buying early doesn't mean buying waste.
4. Budget control. Locking volume now converts a volatile Q4 expense into a known number you can plan around.
What to Stock, by Facility Type
Clinics & urgent care: Point-of-care multiplex panels are the workhorse. A COVID/Flu A&B cassette with CLIA-waived workflow keeps triage moving. Add RSV capability for pediatric-heavy patient panels.
Pharmacies & retail: OTC self-test kits in 1-test and 2-test formats. The 4-in-1 (COVID + Flu A/B + RSV) home tests are the fastest-growing ask at the counter.
Schools, employers, facilities: 2-test home kits by the case, stored centrally. One case of 48 kits covers a lot of "should I send them home" decisions.
Long-term care: Both , POC panels for staff assessment plus OTC kits for resident and visitor screening protocols.
What Keystone Has on the Shelf Right Now
We stock the season's core lineup in case and pallet quantities, ready to ship from U.S. inventory:
- Flowflex Plus 4-in-1 (COVID + Flu A/B + RSV) home tests , 1-test and 2-test kits, cases of 48
- iHealth 4-in-1 (COVID + Flu A/B + RSV) home tests , cases of 24 and 72
- CorDx Tyfast COVID/Flu A&B , POC 25-test kits and self-test cases
- Healgen Rapid Check POC cassettes , COVID/Flu A&B, RSV, and Strep A
- iHealth and Flowflex COVID-19 single-target tests for high-volume screening programs
Every SKU ships with lot documentation, and case pricing beats what you'll see on allocation in October. Need a brand or panel format you don't see listed? We source against a directory of 60,000+ products from 270+ manufacturers , if it exists, we can quote it.
How to Lock It In
Send us your expected season volume , even a rough number , and we'll return firm case pricing within 4 business hours. Net 30 terms and purchase orders are available for qualified organizations. You don't have to take it all in one shipment; we'll schedule releases so product lands when you need it.
Request your respiratory season quote →
Or call sales directly: 507-237-6036. Mon to Sat, 8 AM to 7 PM CT.
The buyers who move in August set the terms. The buyers who move in October take them.