The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says a website it launched to help people find rapid antigen tests [RATs] has been "under a huge amount of pressure" with reports it crashed or failed to load throughout its first day of operation.
Under a federal scheme that began on Monday, concession card holders are eligible for 10 free tests over the next three months.
The guild's website was designed as "a single source of truth" to show which pharmacies are in stock.
Concession card holder Brian Webster said he tried multiple times to find a test using the website.
"I put in my postcode and pressed search and it just goes around in a circle," he said.
But Southport resident Wendy Dux said she found an in-stock pharmacy through the website early on Monday morning.
"When they opened they had them [RATs] all ready. Obviously you have to show your concession card," she said.
"So I'm a happy vegemite. I have five nasal tests."
'Millions' attempt to access website
Committee member for the Pharmacy Guild's Gold Coast branch Paul Jaffar said the sector has been "working around the clock" to find new stock, with millions of people attempting to access the website.
"It was under a huge amount of pressure this morning literally because of millions of people going on to it," he said.
"But I've been told that it is working properly now."
At the time of publication, attempts by the ABC to search for tests on the website returned blank results or failed to load.
Mr Jaffar said the website "is worth visiting" to ease the burden on pharmacies.
"We'd also like to ask our customers and members of the community to please not call your pharmacy," he said.
"Also, through your pharmacy's social media pages, a lot of pharmacies will be updating local customers about when they'll receive them as well."
Anger and confusion
Ms Dux said the pharmacy she received tests from showed preference to concession card holders, which angered others in line.
"I have an underlying lung problem and I have an little two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter going though chemo, so I have to be extra cautious," she said.
"She just stormed out of the shop so I said to the lady behind the counter 'I hope your day is okay today and you don't cop too much abuse'."
Mr Webster said the supply issue was frustrating.
"I don't know what's going on, whether it's the federal government, whether it's the Queensland government, whether it's the Pharmacy Guild itself," he said.
"I don't know. I'm confused."
'Nudge and wink'
Biggera Waters pharmacist Amin Javanmard said he was only able to source 20 packs of 25 tests.
"I can't split those up because it goes against TGA rules, so that's literally 20 people I have to ration this stock amongst," he said.
Mr Javanmard said he was not sure how to "ration this precious commodity amongst the hundreds of people that will no doubt come in".
"We're still trying to figure it out," he said.
Last week the Pharmacy Guild warned of "market failure" with some RAT importers finding it "easier" to supply large retailers than smaller ones.
The competition watchdog has referred reports of price gouging to the Australian Federal Police with tests sold by some smaller retailers for $70 each despite wholesale prices ranging between $3.95 and $11.45.
Plea for patience
Pharmacy Guild national president Trent Twomey said demand would exceed supply until February 14.
"Pharmacies are tired … we're exhausted," he told ABC News Channel.
Professor Twomey said pharmacies were only given "one hours notice" on New Years Eve that rapid antigen tests would be accepted by National Cabinet, and more time to prepare was needed.
"If the states and territories had told us in December that in January they were moving from pathology [PCR tests] to point of care [RATs] we could have ordered enough," he said.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said 16 million tests were expected to arrive by the end of January, with another 33 million due next month.
