Demands for COVID-19 testing kits, vaccine boosters and jabs for juniors coupled with pandemic induced staff shortages have meant January, a time which is usually quiet in the industry, has been relentless. Most businesses have had no stock of rapid antigen tests (RATs) since before Christmas, but surging case numbers and school holiday travel have seen demand for them skyrocket.

At Mountview Pharmacy in Armidale, test stock is slowly trickling through, but it flies off the shelf when it comes in.

"Last week, we got about 240 boxes of five-pack tests and 288 of dual pack tests, and it sold out in a day," said pharmacist Josh Lee.

"A fortnight ago, we got a delivery of 2000 packs, and it sold out in 8 hours."

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Mr Lee said his workload has tripled, and the pharmacy has had to take the unprecedented step of closing for an hour every lunchtime - just to catch up.

"It's basically a necessity at this point," Mr Lee said.

"Earlier in January, I was working from 8am until 11pm every day just to catch up and stay afloat. You can't just put more staff on because they're only a hindrance and a liability without proper training. And that is the same across the health industry - you can't just get more staff."

Monday marked the beginning of the rollout of free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to concession cardholders across the country for the next three months, with a limit of five in one month. But local pharmacies do not have any rapid test stock available, and there is none due to be delivered any time soon.

Pharmacists have described feeling stuck between an unprecedented demand for tests from the public, a relative scarcity of tests available for purchase, and a dearth of clear information and direction from state and federal governments about how the scheme to provide free rapid tests is supposed to unfold.

With chemists forced to purchase tests up to a month in advance of delivery from smaller, less reliable sources.

"My head office has been brokering deals behind the scenes with unusual suppliers," said Mr Lee.

"The last time we got anything through regular wholesalers would be the start of December - there is just nothing available through the normal distribution channels."

Earlier this month, Tablelands MP Adam Marshall criticised his own government and the Commonwealth for forcing rural residents who are COVID close contacts into a "limbo of farcical proportions" through a shortage of rapid antigen tests.

Mr Marshall called on NSW Health to urgently increase the supply of the tests in rural areas to free people from what he called a "virtual endless lockdown".

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