Six million Australians are officially eligible for free rapid antigen tests however pharmacies are concerned over widespread supply shortages.
Concession card holders will be able to claim up to 10 of the free self-test kits over a three-month period starting from Monday.
Pensioners, veterans and low-income earners will be able to access RATs for free and can claim a maximum of five tests per month.
However, pharmacies fear nationwide shortages will leave customers empty-handed amid surging demand for the crucial devices.
Six million Australians are officially eligible for free rapid antigen tests (pictured) however pharmacies are concerned over widespread supply shortages
Concession card holders will be able to ask for up to ten of the free self-test kits over a three-month period starting from Monday (pictured, a Sydney pharmacy sells out of RATs)
Chemists are putting on extra staff to cope with the amount of people seeking a test as fresh batches of the kits continue to sell out in just minutes.
The federal government has agreed to pay pharmacists $10 plus GST for every RAT handed out to a concession card holder, but some have said this isn't enough.
Chris Freeman, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, said $15 would be more appropriate reimbursement as demand for the tests continues globally.
He said pharmacies could be out of pocket for up to a month and revealed most chemists were being forced to put on extra staff to cope with customers.
'In the ideal world, we would have these tests supplied into pharmacy from government, rather than the pharmacists themselves trying to source the supply,' Dr Freeman told the ABC.
The federal government has said national cabinet would regularly review the reimbursement rate to keep up with the price of the tests.
Trent Twomey, President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, said while there would eventually be enough tests for the scheme, supply was constrained.
'We don't have enough today,' he told the Nine Network on Monday.
'There are 6000 community pharmacies in Australia and 804 pharmacies went live this morning. The majority will simply not be going live.'
Trent Twomey, President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, (pictured) said while there would eventually be enough tests for the scheme supply was constrained
Mr Twomey says there are 13 million tests arriving in the next week and 22 million in the first three weeks of February just for pharmacies.
'But like with everything in this pandemic we are competing with supply chain shortages of rapid antigen tests not just in the UK
