A steady stream of rapid antigen tests isn’t expected for weeks, and that could have a major impact on this group of people.
Ongoing stock issues will mean some pharmacies can’t sell rapid antigen tests to people who aren’t eligible for the concession scheme, as Australians continue to face hurdles to access a kit.
On Monday, 6.6 million Australians with a concession card – including pensioners, Department of Veteran affairs card holders, and low-income cardholders – became eligible to access free rapid antigen tests from pharmacies.
Under the scheme, any one person can access 10 test in three months, but a maximum of five in a month.
But according to the Pharmacy Guild of Australia the “majority” of pharmacies participating in the scheme do not have enough stock to supply to card holders, let alone to those not eligible for the scheme.
As a result, some pharmacies will be forced to discriminate against non-card holders.
PGA vice-president Anthony Tassone said each pharmacy could decide whether to keep their entire stock for cardholders, or sell some to other Australians.
“It depends on how much stock they have available, and it is a real balancing act,” Mr Tassone told RN Breakfast.
“It’s a real challenge because patients who are eligible under the scheme, they’re often more vulnerable.
“They’re often older patients so it is a balance for the pharmacy and that situation may change depending on how much stock each pharmacy has.”
National president Trent Twomey said while the first day of the scheme had been plagued with issues, on the whole it had gone “better than expected”.
“The figures we received early this morning said that there are over 3000 pharmacies that have signed up to participate in the program, over 1600 participated actively yesterday,” Mr Twomey told Sunrise.
“They provided free rapid antigen tests to 148,000 concession cardholders across every state and territory.
“I know it’s not all of the country’s 6000 pharmacies, we would definitely have more coming on board in the coming days and weeks.”
Mr Twomey said it probably wouldn’t be until “around Valentines Day” that the country’s 6000 pharmacies would have enough supply to meet demand.
Mr Tassone said pharmacies were doing everything they could to secure more reliable steams of stock now.
“We want it to be as soon as possible, absolutely. Pharmacies are doing everything they can as soon as we can,” he said.
“Hopefully we can get these test kits in the hands of people that need them as soon as we can.”
Mr Twomey said the “findapharmacy” website, which had been plagued with tech issues on Monday, has been fixed and is up-and-running.
Originally published as RAT supply so small non-concession cardholders could be unable to buy them
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