People who are eligible to receive free rapid antigen tests are struggling to get their hands on a kit even if their local pharmacy has stock.

Pensioners, veterans and low income earners can claim up to 10 RATs at no cost under a government scheme which began yesterday.

However, pharmacies that ordered stock before details of the scheme were revealed last week will lose income if they give their supplies away for free.

“The Commonwealth government … have a fixed price for these twin packs,” Queensland President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia Trent Twomey told Sofie Formica.

“If [pharmacies have] ordered stock in that cost them more than what the government’s reimbursing, unfortunately they can’t give it away for less than what it cost them to get it into the store.

“Unfortunately, we’re going to have this mix-mash of stock across the whole network until the program settles down around Valentine’s Day.”

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