Pharmacist Hussein Anboussi says rapid antigen tests hard to come by in Orange

Pharmacist Hussein Anboussi said Starchem received a shipment of 800 kits last Wednesday which were sold by Friday.

"We've got more ordered but no clue when they're coming in," he said.

Mr Anboussi said he understood customer's frustrations and didn't like "letting people down".

"We can't always go off the suppliers' date, the suppliers will say for instance, they're coming in tomorrow. We tell people that, and then they don't come in.

"Who gets the blame? The pharmacists but it's really not in our hands.

"So it is pretty frustrating but it is what it is."

Emily Wilkie from Hogan's Pharmacy said the business received "sporadic' deliveries with the last one consisting of about 500 kits.

"But they're gone within an hour," she said saying a post of social media by a well-meaning customer usually produced a rush on the kits.

Ms Wilkie also questioned the Federal government's timing of its announcement relaxing restrictions when supplies were already stretched.

Mr Anboussi said people wanting to travel made up the bulk of inquiries for the kits with the relaxed rules, which allow for the quicker RAT instead of the previously-needed PCR to cross the Queensland border, putting enormous pressure on supplies.

"Sometimes when customers don't find tests and they are literally travelling the next day, it's inconvenient for them," he said.

"You understand where they are coming from if they are frustrated but most of the time they understand [it's not our fault]."

Mr Anboussi said an Australian-made twin-pack costs around $34.95 with most people just buying what they needed for the household.

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