Since its start, Poulpharm offered the oocyst per gram (OPG) method as golden standard for coccidiosis pressure monitoring. In this method, the number of oocysts in a faecal sample are determined and can be differentiated per gram faecal material by microscopy. This indicates the coccidiosis pressure in a poultry flock without killing animals, as would needed for macroscopic lesion scoring. However, OPGs remain laborious and due to morphological similarities between Eimeria species, an error in species differentiation needs to be taken into account.

Therefore, quantitative PCR (qPCR), a more specific technique for coccidiosis research was developed. This technique allows for increased reliability by genomic differentiation. However, as there are seven different Eimeria species for coccidiosis in chickens, seven separate PCR reactions are necessary to have the complete picture, which makes it quite expensive for routine examination (€225/sample).