February 1 2022
Deputy PM Grant Roberson says the Government has ordered enough new rapid antigen test kits (RATS) to get the country through any looming Omicron outbreak.
An Auckland pharmacist is despairing over the number of sick and potentially infectious people she is turning away for Covid testing because they don't meet a strict criteria.
Unichem Kelston Medical Centre Pharmacy's Beheshta Ali said she was spending hours each day explaining to customers only two groups of people - the unvaccinated travelling domestically and those attending court - are entitled to free rapid antigen tests (RATs) from chemists.
She said it was leaving pharmacists in a vulnerable position, and frustration was boiling over to abuse as they turned away many seeking tests.
RATs have become the primary method of testing for people in phase 3 of the Covid-19 response.
"It doesn't make sense. We can offer so many other clinical services as pharmacists. We can even offer RATs, but only for such a small group of people."
She said many people were being directed to pharmacies for tests, unaware they weren't eligible.
She said yesterday a woman with a child and mother with cancer went unsuccessfully to three different health providers after being directed to go to a pharmacy for a test.
"Her GP couldn't do it because their RATs hadn't arrived. She tried another GP clinic who wouldn't do her because she's not their patient. She'd then tried to go to a testing station who turned her away and she'd ultimately come back to us frustrated.
"We should not be in this position. Why can't we test them?"
She said pharmacies had the supply and had told the DHB they were able and willing to do testing for anyone, but were being told they weren't allowed to.
As a result, days were spent fielding phone calls or spending a lot of time talking to people who came in store wanting tests.
"They want to plead their cases with us, so we're in the frontline talking to symptomatic patients no one else wants to listen to," Ali said.
Unichem Kelston Medical Centre Pharmacy's Beheshta Ali (centre) says she is hamstrung by tight rules governing free rapid antigen tests as Auckland's Omicron outbreak explodes. Photo / Supplied
The west Auckland pharmacist, who was now self-isolating with Covid symptoms after a household contact tested positive, said pharmacies, unlike GP clinics, were a walk-in service where health professionals were easily accessible.
She said it would make a huge difference if pharmacies could distribute RATs, which would take all of five minutes.
"Instead, we have 50-minute conversations with these people about why we're not allowed and then they get really frustrated and angry."
Ali said many in her community were not connected to GP healthcare and didn't understand the health system.
"It just doesn't make sense why pharmacies can't test. I just don't get it."
She was desperate the public was made aware pharmacies were legally not allowed to test everyone to stop the abuse.
Today the body representing pharmacists called for more clarity from the Government about when people would be able to purchase rapid antigen tests.
Pharmacy Guild chief executive Andrew Gaudin told RNZ supply chain pressures would put huge logistical pressure on businesses to receive and sell stock because of public demand.
"We're finding across our membership that nine out of 10 people coming into pharmacies, they're wanting to get a test for personal use. They'll be asymptomatic, probably vaccinated, but they don't meet the criteria [for a free test].
Gaudin said pharmacies were eager to help with the sale of RATs so they could assist with limiting the spread of Omicron.
However, getting the stock in would be the challenge.
"It's the logistics and timeframes, there's a lot of pressure on supply chains. This retail scheme starts from March - we're not quite sure what date at this stage. We'll obviously be talking with officials to get that detail as soon as we can."
Over the past two days, 5.2 million RATs have arrived in the country, and a further 10 million are coming this weekend earmarked for the public health response.
Jo Pugh, the Ministry of Health's acting group manager for Covid-19 testing and supply, said currently, under the response plan, pharmacies were supplied with supervised RATs for testing asymptomatic unvaccinated people over 12 years and three months who are travelling domestically with a transport company that required evidence of a negative test result, or asymptomatic unvaccinated people requested to attend a court of law by the Ministry of Justice.
"Pharmacies help people take the test and record the results," Pugh said.
"RATs from the Ministry of Health's central supply are not available for public sale – they are being distributed to support the public health response.
"Now that we are in phase 3, any business can sell approved RATs to the public. RATs available for public sale will be sourced from the private market who will also set pricing and distribution.
"Although there are still significant global supply constraints, we have secured the delivery of enough RATs to help New Zealand through a widespread Omicron outbreak in the coming months," the ministry said.
Over the past two days, 5.2 million RATs had arrived in the country. Another 10 million were due to arrive over the weekend, bringing the total supply to more than 22 million by Monday.
The tests were being shipped to community testing centres, GPs, and pharmacies across New Zealand. Critical services and businesses who needed them as part of the Close Contact Exemption Scheme could also access them.
