The decision to extend the Covid-19 Rapid Test Concessional Access (CRTCA) Program until 31 July 2022 has been welcomed by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
The National President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Professor Trent Twomey, said that to date the scheme had been a great success and extending it provided further protection for many Australians.
“We don’t know what is happening with the latest sub-variant of Covid-19 so extending this access program makes good sense,” Professor Twomey said.
“Also, as we head into winter and the flu season, extending the program will help people feeling unwell differentiate between Covid-9 and the flu which is really important.”
The extended program will be run on the same basis as the current program.
Eligible patients can go to their community pharmacy where they are able to access up to 10 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) over a three-month period, with no more than five tests in any given month.
Eligible patients are those with a valid Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Senior Health Care Card, Health Care Card (including Low Income Health Care Card), Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold, White or Orange Cards.
Professor Twomey urged consumers to go to the findapharmacy.com.au website to see which pharmacies are participating in the service and have stocks of the tests.
“Pharmacies can update the website at any time to indicate whether they have stocks of the tests and going to the website can save people a lot of time,” he said.
“The availability of Rapid Antigen Tests is now much more stable and patients should have no problem accessing them.
“I also remind everyone that with the flu season coming, and Covid-19 still a very real threat, that getting vaccinated against the flu is as important as ever.”
