Rapid antigen test shortage hits Cairns pharmacies

Pharmacies across Cairns are urging residents to look at their Facebook pages before calling up the stores for a rapid antigen tests.

PHARMACIES across Cairns are urging residents to look at their Facebook pages before calling up stores for rapid antigen tests.

While the demand is high, pharmacies are struggling to get the RATs from suppliers. Which means even though orders may be in they might not come.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia national president Trent Twomey said the orders they have put through have not arrived.

Cairns is experiencing a severe shortage of Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits, following the Queensland Government's announcement this week that the tests can be used in certain circumstances to replace the more expensive and slow Covid-19 PCR tests. Picture: Brendan Radke

He said his orders at Alive Pharmacies are scheduled for 10.30am and 4.30pm each day.

“We were expecting them yesterday morning but they didn’t come, this morning they also didn’t come,” he said.

Mr Twomey said he has put an order of 30,000 in but only 3000 had arrived and as soon as they receive them they sell out.

“The other day, the box arrived at 8am and sold out by 8.55am.”

But he said the best way to find out if pharmacies across Cairns have them was through websites and social media.

“We are telling them to follow us on Facebook and we will put a post up. We are not taking names or people’s numbers,” he said.

While stock is low pharmacies across Cairns have also adopted this method.

Originally published as Rapid antigen test shortage hits Cairns pharmacies