Chemist Warehouse boss reveals when rapid antigen test shortage will end

Australia’s desperate rapid antigen test shortage could come to an end sooner than we thought, according to the boss of Chemist Warehouse.

The boss of one of the nation’s biggest chemist chains has revealed when Australia’s rapid antigen test shortage will finally ease.

Appearing on Sunrise on Tuesday morning, Chemist Warehouse chief operating officer Mario Tascone claimed the tests were in short supply for a number of reasons, including public holidays, shipping and customs delays, coupled with unprecedented demand.

The shortage has sparked accusations of price gouging by some retailers as Aussies struggle to get their hands on the tests as Covid case numbers continue to explode.

However, Mr Tascone said relief was finally in sight, predicting “by week’s end and early next week we’ll have lots of good supplies”.

He began the interview by arguing more needed to be done to make the tests more affordable for everyday shoppers.

“Anything that gets these tests into the hands of people regardless of their economic status is important,” he said, adding the company had lobbied the government in recent days to remove the GST on the tests to make them cheaper,” he said.

“We sell a packet of five … for $50, which works out to be $10 a test. That would admittedly make one of these $45, which is significant.

Chemist Warehouse stores have been hit by the nationwide test shortage. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Marshall

“A $5 saving over a five pack is a significant saving for most families, but I would reaffirm that the Federal Government … should be working out how to get these into the hands of … disadvantaged people for free. With some sort of subsidy at least.”

Mr Tascone explained many retailers were grappling with supply issues as most kits had to be flown in individually.

“There are planes arriving each day, we’ve got stock due to our Sydney stores this afternoon, and we hope to replenish our Victorian, Queensland, Tasmanian and South Australian stores later tomorrow,” he said.

He said supplies were hampered by limitations to plane loads as well as the challenge of getting them released by Customs, but “lots of stock” was coming soon.

"I think by weeks end and early next week we'll have lots of good supplies"

Chemist Warehouse chief operating officer Mario Tascone says unprecedented demand, public holidays, shipping and customs delays are to blame for shortages of rapid antigen tests across Australia. pic.twitter.com/Krk6YXGIpw

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) January 3, 2022

He added that the squeeze had been exacerbated by “back-to-back public holidays”, logistics problems and the rapid spread of the Omicron variant across the nation, which led to soaring demand.

“I think by the week’s end and early into next week we will get lots of supply, whether it is in our stores or state centres,” he said.

“I think it should be alleviated but it does not fix a problem today. Today is a problem and it is a bit of a lucky dip at that.”

Tests are in short supply, but relief is on the way. Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP

When asked whether the Omicron strain had caught everyone by “surprise”, Mr Tascone said it had been a challenge.

“It is a challenging one, how much to order with these rapid antigen tests, because it’s not as if there is a magic warehouse setting with stockpiles of this,” he said.

“From order to supply is usually a three-week lag, which is the issue we got here.

“When everyone realises this is going out of control, everyone’s got the orders in but they have to be manufactured first, so by the time they get to Australia there is a delay.

“But there is no use looking backwards, it’s about going forward and getting the stock into

everyone’s hands.”

Mr Tascone added that Chemist Warehouse doesn’t have limits on the number of tests that can be purchased, and added his stores were “definitely not price gouging”.

Mr Tascone's prediction comes as the severe test shortage sparked a new website, ‘Find a RAT’, which allows people to access data on which chemists and supermarkets in their local areas have stock available.

The launch of the website comes amid an escalating political spat, with testing kits in short supply, and the federal government ruling out making them free for all.

Currently, the website’s data is crowdsourced from user reports, who are able to mark a store green for ‘in stock’, orange for ‘low stock’, or red for ‘no stock’.

Users can search via postcode to find local data.

– with NCA NewsWire

Originally published as Chemist Warehouse boss reveals when rapid antigen test shortage will end