After That Prescription, Let's Test Your Memory

In recent years, local pharmacies have become the go-to places for a variety of medical tests—everything from identifying HIV infection to checking fertility levels. Memory tests given at Rite Aid drugstores as an early warning for Alzheimer’s, however, are drawing fire from doctors who say the screenings don’t work well and may cause fear among people who don’t have the disease.

The drugstore chain is making the tests available this month at more than 4,000 stores in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a coalition of 1,700 nonprofit, social service, and health-care groups that help support patients’ families and caregivers. The 5- to 10-minute test of oral and written questions screens for early memory loss, including symptoms tied to Alzheimer’s and dementia, according to the foundation.