Pharmacists say they need better support to secure enough rapid antigen tests, which are in short supply amid a nationwide scramble to buy them.
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Cincotta Discount Chemist Dickson owner Rhonda Warn said she had no supply of rapid tests at this stage but she intended to introduce customer caps when a new order arrived.
"The demand is now while people are on holidays, so I've ordered over 250 tests that will hopefully be coming by Friday," Ms Warn said.
"They're in packs of five so I'll be enforcing rules where a customer can't buy any more than one item at a time."
Ms Warn said the overall attitude of customers is one of fatigue and disappointment when they found out her pharmacy was out of supply and there would be future buying limits on new stock.
"I think the problem is the government keeps going out there and saying they're available but when we order through wholesalers we're lucky if we get six because they're trying to spread them Australia wide," Ms Warn said.
"Customers are likely ringing across another dozen places and then maybe give up because they are just not available. It's great that supermarkets and IGAs have starting to sell them so it can help get them out there to more people.
"Hopefully moving forward the government will secure more to start filtering out through all the retail outlets."
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith confirmed at this stage the ACT has not placed extra orders to increase its stockpile.
"The reason we're out of stock is that many people actually have already gone out and bought those rapid antigen tests, so many people who will be travelling may have already chosen to purchase a pack or two of rapid antigen tests," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The government keeps going out there and saying they're available but when we order through wholesalers we're lucky if we get six.
- Pharmacist Rhonda Warn
Narrabundah Pharmacy is also yet to receive a delivery of rapid tests, after placing a later order. Customers, however, have rung nonstop looking for available stock.
Ainslie IGA is one of the supermarkets supplying rapid antigen tests and has also instigated buying limits due to excess demand.
"We've only got a limit currently of one per customer because our next delivery is coming later but we've also been assured our next one is going to be about 90 boxes," the store's manager, Dimitri Mihailakis said.
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"We got a pretty good jump on them and had heaps so we haven't really run out of them at this point."
Costco introduced limits on the number of rapid antigen tests to be purchased, with the retailer's country manager Patrick Noone saying employees and suppliers were working tirelessly to keep up with demand for the tests.
"At the moment we have had to introduce limits per transation on these products, which are one unit (sold as a 20-pack) per member," Mr Noone said.
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