The increase in corona morbidity has led in recent days to a jump of up to 700% in the purchase of home kits for antigen testing, but due to the increased purchases, the pharma chains are reporting a non-compliance with demand, and some branches have already announced a clearance.
The industry says that this is a point and temporary shortage, but emphasizes that if there is a delay in goods, there may well be a shortage.
"The big jump in purchases began on Sunday this week," Uri Waterman, CEO of BE at Shufersal, told Israel Today.
According to Waterman, "When the prime minister put the quick tests into the green mark, it was crazy that there was one company and all the amount we put into branches disappeared. Today the range of tests is greater, there are 5-4 companies and the price dropped by 40%. If a package of five tests went up "Then 130 shekels, today it costs only 80 shekels. Both online and at Walt there are psychic numbers. At Walt we issued a thousand shipments of tests yesterday. It is hundreds of thousands of units a day."
Is there a shortage?
"Right now we still do not have a shortage of tests," says Adam Friedler, CEO of Good Pharm, "but we are nearing the end.
I hope there will be no delay in deliveries from the beginning of the week, otherwise there will be a shortage.
In the last three days we have noticed a 600% increase in the purchase of antigen tests.
People buy in quantities, 20-5 tests on average. "
Imad Sadr, director of pharmacy and trade at Super-Pharm, believes that "the demand for tests has risen in the last week in light of the increase in morbidity. Currently, we do not see a horizontal shortage of tests sold in branches, but there may be spot shortages. Frequently, in order to continue to give our customers a quick and quality response. "
Waterman from the BE chain also confirms that "at the moment we have no shortage. We distributed tests to the branches yesterday, and since the demand is so great, we filled them out again today. We are preparing for a significant increase in quantities to give supplies to the branches all the time."
However, he said, "Due to the omicron there is a worldwide shortage of antigen tests, because the whole world is moving from PCR to antigen. PCR tests are more expensive because they run laboratories, but since there are many verified people who go for tests and the labs are limited, everyone is sent for antigen tests. "PCR had to be introduced until two weeks ago to enter public places, and since then antigen testing can be introduced.
"The whole world is slowly moving on to home antigen tests."
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