Pharmacists reveal no extra rapid tests given to help with free swab rollout for concession card holders

Pharmacists have revealed major issues with the rollout of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan to provide free rapid tests to concession card holders.

Pharmacists have revealed Prime Minister Scott Morrison will not be providing any extra rapid antigen tests directly to chemists under a plan to distribute free tests to concession card holders.

Instead, chemists will be asked to distribute existing stock for free before claiming the cost back from the government through a new system that is currently being built.

The revelation has raised fresh concerns among some pharmacists over whether the scheme will address current RAT shortages or simply increase demand.

The Pharmacy Guild has told news.com.au that it is still hopeful that the scheme will be up and running on January 20 as planned.

But it is waiting on answers from the Morrison Government on how the scheme, announced by the Prime Minister last week, will actually operate.

Pharmacists are concerned the Morrison government’s plan to roll out free rapid tests for concession card holders will not be ready to begin on January 20 as planned. Picture Dean Martin

”If we get the answers back today the scheme can be operational from Jan 20. If we don’t then it won’t,’’ Pharmacy Guild President Trent Twomey said.

In a social media post shared over the weekend, Bannockburn Pharmacy said it was not what some pharmacists had expected.

“It has come to our attention late Friday that the Federal Government will NOT be providing RATs DIRECTLY to pharmacies to give away,’’ it said.

”Instead, we have been told pharmacies are expected to source their own RATs to give away to concession card holders and then somehow the government will reimburse us to cover our cost of buying them. Pharmacists still haven’t been told how this will occur.”

There are fears the plan could place an even greater strain on already minimal supply, as the government will not provide additional tests to pharmacies for those eligible. Picture: Richard Dobson

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last week rapid tests would be free to concession card holders. Picture: AFP

Mr Twomey has also revealed chemists can only use standard kits of up to five tests to hand out to concession card holders, because it’s illegal to break up the bulk backs in the national stockpile used by official testing sites.

Mr Twomey said there had never been any suggestion the Morrison Government would provide extra tests.

“There are two different types of packs of rapid antigen tests,’’ he said.

“There’s the point of care test which is essentially what the national and state stockpiles are.

“They are boxes of 50 and 100. When you go to a local testing clinic, that’s what the assistants using and they’re opening and they’re not handing them out for you to take home.

“Then there are the retail packs, which come in which come in ones, twos and threes and fives and 10s. That’s what the TGA has approved to provide to members of the public for them to self test.”

In other words, chemists cannot legally hand out national stockpile tests.

“So if you are an 85-year-old pensioner and you come into my pharmacy, right. you will produce your pension card and you will get a test for free.

“But there are no bulk stockpile packs. The point of the program is to address universal access.”

Another issue faced by pharmacists is that rapid test packs cannot be broken up into single tests, so those receiving free tests are receiving them in larger packets. (Photo by Rodrigo URZAGASTI / AFP)

Last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed he’s never personally bought a rapid Covid test and gets taxpayer-funded tests at work for free, or his wife to find them.

Just days after telling voters that Australia was at that stage of the pandemic where you can‘t “just go around and make everything free”, the PM has confirmed they are free for him at work and for other ministers.

Despite earning $550,000 a year, this puts the Prime Minister among the ranks of the unemployed in enjoying taxpayer-funded rapid antigen tests in 2022.

Mr Morrison revealed his access to free rapid tests — which have become known as RATs — when he was put on the spot during a press conference in Canberra over whether he had ever personally bought a Covid test.

“That I will have to check with Jen, because she, she’s the one that goes and gets them for those situations,’’ Mr Morrison said.

He revealed public servants are sent out to buy the tests which are distributed by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

For private use, the Prime Minister said his wife, Jen, had bought some tests at “the chemist or wherever she‘s gone”.

Originally published as Pharmacists reveal no extra rapid tests given to help with free swab rollout for concession card holders