Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits will be available across the petrol and convenience (P&C) channel from 1 November.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved eight testing kits to be sold at retail, but the Chinese-manufactured Hough Pharma Antigen Nasal Test is expected to be the most widely available across the convenience sector.
Theo Foukkare, CEO, Australian Association Convenience Stores (AACS), said it is important that consumers see the P&C channel as the number one destination to purchase the RAT kits.
“We have an advantage over most other retail outlets. A large majority of our stores operate 24/7, so we have easy access. While there might be availability in supermarkets and pharmacies, they all operate under certain opening and closing hours. It’s very important for the consumer to know that the P&C channel is there for them no matter what time of day it is.”
The testing kits will retail for around $30 a two-pack and will deliver a result within 15 minutes, something Foukkare says is very important for the consumer.
“It means whether the consumer is on their way to work, visiting family or friends, on the way to visit grandparents in the hospital, it will give them a clear answer and peace of mind that they don’t have the virus.”
Foukkare said these tests are also beneficial to those working within the P&C channel who have seen first hand the effects a positive case can have on other staff who have had to isolate, and the disruptions they can cause in business operations.
“It provides us with a simple, quick option to test our staff to help identify the virus if it does exist. And then if it does, then the business needs to report it and then any positive tests need to be followed up with a government polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.”