Lethbridge pharmacies now included in distribution of COVID rapid test kits

Pharmacies in Lethbridge are now handing out rapid test kits to residents who are looking for them.

LETHBRIDGE -

It wasn't long ago when the Lethbridge Health Unit would run out of free rapid COVID-19 test kits in the matter of minutes.

Now that pharmacies in Lethbridge are being included in the province’s rollout plan, staff members handing them out say the demand has slowed.

“It's been very popular to come pick up a rapid test at the pharmacy,” said Amber Mueller, a pharmacist at Stafford Pharmacy. “Demand has been high but it’s tapering off a little bit.”

Mueller says each pharmacy received 648 test kits in the first shipment last week.

“We have handed out probably half to three-quarters of our supply already and we're expecting another shipment next week,” said Mueller.

In December, the demand for test kits from Lethbridge residents was high, however, Mueller says demand has slowly decreased for a number of reasons.

“The market has been flooded with all of the take-home rapid tests, kids have been getting them from schools, people have been getting them from work, every pharmacy has tests now,” said Mueller.

The Medicine Shoppe near Chinook Regional Hospital says it was nearly impossible for pharmacies to order any kits when they were first introduced in December.

“There was not one available in the market, there was a big shortage and we were kind of crunching day by day. We were swamped with phone calls from everybody asking if we had test kits available,” said Vishal Sukhadiya, owner and pharmacist of the Medicine Shoppe.

Both Mueller and Sukhadiya say they currently have an abundance of stock, with more expected to arrive next week. Sukhadiya says, “when the demand goes up, supply goes down.”

The kits are begin given out for free and include five tests per kit. Sukhadiya says it doesn't hurt to pick up a kit because people never know when they may need it.

“We don't know if will have more waves coming and the rapid test kits are very handy, so I encourage everybody to just grab a test kit from any pharmacy that is close to your home,” said Sukhadiya.

To dispose of used rapid tests, the City of Calgary says the COVID-19 antigen test devices can be disposed of into your black cart as garbage. This includes the buffer bottle, extraction tube, swabs, swab packaging, the test device and any small plastic components.

In order to pick up a free rapid test kit, you must show your Alberta Health Care card and can only get one kit every 14 days.