Jan 18, 2022

Pensioners miss out as pharmacists told to purchase rapid antigen tests for government’s ‘free’ test scheme

Pensioners free RATs

This follows the government warning it will not supply the free tests to chemists, and the pharmacists not knowing how much they will be reimbursed for each test.

The prime minister said the government will not provide rapid antigen tests for pharmacies as part of its plan to supply free tests to pensioners. Instead, he said pharmacists should source the tests themselves.

“They’ll come through the pharmacies and the pharmacy is responsible for securing their private supplies to meet that demand,” Scott Morrison said.

The government has not released details about how the scheme will work, but it is expected pharmacies will be paid a fee for tests they hand out – however, pharmacies are uncertain how much they will receive.

By contrast, pharmacists, and other vaccine providers, order vaccines from the government directly – they don’t have to purchase them through commercial suppliers.

Patrick Carrig, who runs Adelaide’s Carrig Chemists, told The Guardian he is angry with the government.

He placed one order for RATs on Christmas Eve, but they have still not arrived.

Carrig will not place an order to fulfil the government’s new scheme until he knows how much pharmacies will be paid for each test and how long they will have to wait before receiving payment.

“We are expected to source our own tests and then provide them at whatever the government is willing to pay.”

Carrig said many pharmacies will not be able to afford to buy large numbers of RATs and give them out for free, waiting weeks to receive payment.

As a result, he said some pharmacies may decide not to take part in the scheme.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Gloves rationed in aged care facility

  The managers of a nursing home are rationing the gloves staff are supposed to wear when attending to residents, according to a HelloCare reader. The reader, who only spoke to HelloCare on the condition of anonymity, told HelloCare that gloves are often not available for staff to wear at the aged care facility where... Read More

Aged Care Royal Commission Announces Hearings To Start January 18   

For many since the announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care, this has been an emotive time. From those having loved ones they wished to see championed and protected, to passionate aged care workers who wanted their voices heard in their industry, feelings of hope, justice, frustration and progress have all concurrently been at... Read More

How Do You Positively Change The Culture Of An Aged Care Workplace?

Establishing a culture within a workplace environment takes a lot of time and repetition. While all working staff will be asked to adhere to best practice methods, it takes a committed group of individuals to ensure that this standard is maintained at all times and this is extremely important when that workplace happens to be... Read More
Advertisement