/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/business/2022/01/13/the-race-for-rapid-tests-pharmacies-face-stiff-competition-for-the-hottest-item-on-the-shelf/rapid_test.jpg)
Canadian pharmacies are dealing with stiff competitors and weeks-long transport delays as they scramble to obtain COVID-19 fast exams for patrons.
For the reason that Omicron variant started spreading throughout the nation in December, Canadians have flooded native pharmacies and main chains equivalent to Customers and Rexall with requests for fast antigen exams providing self-administered use and speedy outcomes.
Some retailers have reported receiving patchwork shipments from suppliers, whereas many have been left ready as governments and main firms world wide place large transport orders with a comparatively small pool of producers.
This week, a number of unbiased pharmacies that obtain their provides from McKesson Company, the American pharmaceutical firm that owns Rexall, informed the Star they every acquired one cargo of 45 fast exams in January, which offered out in 24 hours.
Different pharmacy chains, like London Medicine, say they're nonetheless ready on orders for fast take a look at shipments they positioned early in December.
“We do not know once we’re going to get them,” mentioned Chris Chiew, normal supervisor at London Medicine, based mostly out of Richmond, B.C.
The corporate positioned orders with two fast take a look at producers based mostly in the US, BD Veritor and Abbott, meant for supply early in January. Final week, Chiew mentioned the corporate was knowledgeable it should doubtless have to attend till early February to obtain their provide.
Pharmacies are vying for entry to the exams on the similar time that governments are securing main offers with producers to supply hundreds of thousands of exams.
Final week, Well being Canada introduced it will ship 140 million fast exams to the provinces and territories later this month after securing shipments from a spread of producers in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The provinces and territories are then anticipated to distribute them freely throughout their jurisdictions.
The orders Ottawa positioned with producers in December to safe these shipments crowded out unbiased pharmacies looking for exams for customers and travellers, mentioned Kyro Masseh, proprietor of Lawlor Pharmacy in Toronto.
“And that’s OK, to an extent. Ideally these exams ought to all be totally free,” Masseh mentioned. “But it surely additionally signifies that, for the previous a number of weeks, we’ve been turning away everyone and anyone that wants a fast take a look at as a result of we don’t have any out there.”
Pharmacies related to main chains like McKesson or Loblaw Corporations, which owns Customers Drug Mart, have a marginal benefit over unbiased pharmacies resulting from their partnerships with producers. Some Rexall and Customers franchises throughout Ontario have listed small provides of fast exams for $30 to $50, whereas pharmacies partnered with McKesson acquired restricted bins of exams final week.
Douglas Brown, proprietor of Pharmacy Associates of Port Perry, mentioned he acquired an electronic mail from McKesson’s company workplace final week informing franchisees that bins of exams have been out there to order.
The pharmacy acquired a field of 45 exams produced by QuickVue, a California-based producer, at a value of roughly $15 per take a look at, Brown mentioned. However the exams offered out in at some point, and McKesson has not made any bins out there since.
“That’s probably the most I’ve paid in the whole pandemic for fast exams,” Brown mentioned.
Retailers are additionally constrained by limits on licenses to promote fast exams. Of producers licensed to provide exams in Canada, solely a handful create antigen exams that pharmacies can promote to the general public.
Kristen Watt, a pharmacist in Saugeen Shores west of Owen Sound, says she has a wholesome provide of fast exams manufactured by BTNX, a global firm with a manufacturing facility in Markham. They can be utilized in-store to check travellers headed to the U.S., she mentioned, however they can't be offered to prospects for self-administered functions.
“I get 5 to 10 calls per day from folks asking for fast exams to go see their loved-ones in seniors houses. And I can’t give these to them,” Watt mentioned.
The province has confronted delays of its personal whereas procuring fast exams. In an announcement to the Star on Tuesday, the ministry of well being mentioned it's “experiencing non permanent provide constraints, together with delays in shipments from the federal authorities, which is leading to a restricted provide of fast exams.”
The ministry says it just lately acquired affirmation of three.5 million fast exams coming to Ontario from the federal authorities this week.
The province reported 46 new virus-related deaths on Wednesday, the best single-day complete since February, with 3,448 folks in hospital and 505 adults in intensive care.