Millions of Aussies could again be denied rapid antigen tests

Free rapid antigen tests are available for concession card holders from Monday, but the plan is already threatening to fall into chaos.

Millions of pensioners and concession card holders will struggle to get their free rapid antigen tests next week, with just a few hundred pharmacies initially taking part in the rollout.

And they may have to compete with members of the general public to access the small number of tests that are available.

People desperate to obtain the tests will be able to consult the Find a Pharmacy website to find the pharmacies that are participating in the scheme from Monday, Pharmacy Guild president Trent Twomey said.

Chemist Warehouse boss Mario Tassone told News Corp all the company’s stores would be offering the free tests under the scheme from Monday subject to availability.

“Our stocks of five packs are just for concession patients, our twin packs will be used for general retail customers at our usual price of $20 per twin pack ($10 per test),” he said.

Mr Twomey said there will be hundreds of pharmacies participating on Monday

“It will ramp up progressively from then. There will be several thousand participating by Valentine’s Day,” Mr Twomey said.

The rollout of the free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to Australia’s 6.5 million pensioners and concession card holders had to be gradually phased in because many pharmacies did not have enough stock.

Mr Twomey said even though he was the president of the Pharmacy Guild, his pharmacies in regional Queensland do not yet have enough RATs to take part in the scheme.

His order has already been delayed by more than a week.

“I’ve had 30,000 tests on order are probably received 3000,” he said.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President Trent Twomey has had difficulty getting rapid antigen tests. Picture: Liam Kidston

From Monday, people with a concession card can access up to 10 RATs in a three-month period (maximum five over a one-month period) through community pharmacies.

The Department of Health said pharmacies will give a minimum of two RATs for each eligible individual.

“You can ask for up to the monthly limit of RATs per eligible individual at any one time, subject to availability,” the Department of Health website advises.

Pharmacies who had ordered stock were not receiving their full orders, not because the government had requisitioned them but because suppliers were preferencing larger purchasers like government and supermarkets and mining companies, Mr Twomey said.

“You don’t have to necessarily use reserve powers, you can use a cheque book. So if you’re standing there with a cheque book, and this is what’s happening, and you can pay a lot more money for them then you’re being preferenced in the supply chain,” he said.

There was no requirement for pharmacists who had stock to supply it purely to concession card holders, Mr Twomey said.

“If the pharmacy chooses to sell those privately, then that’s the choice of the local community pharmacy. If the community pharmacy chooses to reserve that stock for concessional patients, then that’s the pharmacy’s right to do that,” he said.

This means concession card holders may have to compete with ordinary members of the public to obtain the tests.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) earlier this week said some smaller retailers had been charging more than $70 for the kits, which have wholesale prices ranging between $3.95 and $11.45.

It said people should not pay more than $20 for a test and prices above $30 were “beyond outrageous”.

Business groups, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association want the tests to be supplied for free to everyone.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has pledged to make the tests available free.

Originally published as Millions of Aussies could again be denied rapid antigen tests