The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia has issued an urgent plea for customers to stop bombarding them with requests for RATs as the industry battles to juggle “extreme stock shortages” and ”unprecedented demand”.National President Associate Professor Chris Freeman said pharmacists were being inundated with calls and inquiries and warned stock shortages could last for at least another month.He said time was being wasted answering calls to tell customers no RATs were available which could be spent vaccinating people or processing medication as normal. “Even though the federal government has secured additional RAT stock, supply is still expected to be sparse until mid-February … our pharmacists are working around the clock to source their own supply of these tests,” Prof Freeman said.“Pharmacists are being inundated with phone calls and inquiries, ultimately consuming a large proportion of their time … members have reported receiving on average four calls a minute in relation to RATs. This is simply not sustainable.”It comes as NSW continues to battle a RAT shortage, with price gouging and scams seeing customers suffer as the state waits for an order of 150 million tests to be delivered. About 1.2 million were delivered earlier this week, with another 15 to be delivered during next week. Premier Dominic Perrottet has flagged some of the tests are reserved for frontline workers and schools once teachers and students go back in Term One.Pharmacy Guild Australia NSW Branch President David Heffernan echoed Professor Freeman‘s comments, revealing stories of some pharmacists threatening to charge customers $5 for simply asking for a RAT or had set up automated voice messages to tell callers stock was out.He said other pharmacists were still waiting for Covid tests they had ordered weeks ago.“The phones are running hot, there‘s frustration, it’s quite intense, there’s slim pickings for tests in NSW right now,” Mr Heffernan said.“A lot of businesses are waiting for stock, which just isn’t arriving … they’re being told by suppliers next week, next week, RATs have been coming next week for over a month now.”Mr Heffernan called for more support for a “frustrated, tired and emotional” pharmacy workforce juggling Covid tests, booster shots and vaccinating children against the virus.“You can’t find a replacement pharmacist from Eden up to Cairns, everyone is off isolating or flat out, it’s a dire situation,” he said.NED-5192-DT-App-Banner
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