With a growing number of workplaces requiring daily negative tests for Covid-19, fears have arisen regarding both the quantity and price of rapid antigen tests (RAT).
Addressing the topic during a press briefing at the local Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Leong Iek Hou, coordinator of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center, guaranteed the public that there was sufficient stock in local pharmacies, adding that the RAT kits available for sale in Macau are priced between 10 and 50 patacas.
In light of several reports on social media and from Times readers of difficulties acquiring the tests, the Times conducted research in several pharmacies to understand the current situation.
Easy to find
The Pharmaceutical Administration Bureau (ISAF) publishes a list of available stock of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests in pharmacies which is updated several times a day between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The Times visited several of the listed establishments.
In all pharmacies listed by the ISAF, the Times found stock of RAT kits from different manufacturers and suppliers. Stock of the same products was also found in other, non-listed pharmacies, as well in drug stores and health and wellness stores from popular and well-known brands.
In most cases, the products were on display right by the window or entrance and, in most cases, the price was also clearly displayed.
Caution required on price
While there were no particular difficulties in finding RAT kits for sale, caution is advised for prospective purchasers as the sale prices varied significantly. Test kits in some stores were up to five times more expensive than virtually the same product in another store, as Leong mentioned in her remarks at the same press briefing.
While prices could vary between different brands due to differing importers, supply chains and for other reasons, consumers are advised to be vigilant.
In our research, the Times found two products from the same brand and apparently with the same specifications being sold with significant price differences.
The most glaring case was a product listed under the brand “Wesail,” produced by Guangdong Wesail Biotech Co. Ltd., which was found for sale in two different ISAF-listed pharmacies located just a few hundred meters apart in the city center.
At the first pharmacy, the product was on sale for 38 patacas, while at the second pharmacy the price was only 13 patacas, which is almost three times less than the first store.
A close examination of the product did not find any difference between the two kits with the exception that in the first, more expensive case, the product’s box had information only in English with additional instructions in another nine languages, namely German, French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, Romanian, Dutch, Greek and Portuguese. The cheaper product’s box had bilingual information and instructions in English and Chinese.
Another price difference was evident in a kit from Hong Kong brand “Banitore,” produced by Shenzhen CAS-Envision Medical Technology Co. Ltd, on sale in two different stores including an ISAF-listed pharmacy and a non-listed health and wellness store.
In the pharmacy, the price was 50 patacas for one test kit, while in the health and wellness store, the price was only 39 patacas, 22% cheaper than in the pharmacy.
This time there was absolutely no difference between the two products in terms of graphics, information or language used.
The Times asked a staff member of the pharmacy about the product and price, as the pharmacy also had another kit on display for half the price. The employee justified the price difference between this kit and others due to it “allowing the RAT to be done either via oropharyngeal (throat) or nasopharyngeal (nose) swab.”
This information is also printed on the boxes of both products.
In the northern district, a RAT in one pharmacy can cost only 8.50 patacas when a bulk of five kits is purchased.
Wide range of offerings but not at the same store
While health authorities have previously said that all the products on sale are homologated and certified and can deliver results with similar accuracy, according to ISAF there are 71 different brands on sale in Macau.
Although this figure might suggest that there are broad offerings in the market, in reality, consumers should not expect to find more than two or three brands in each pharmacy, with many offering just one kind of product.
This means that, if you are looking for a specific product or brand, it might be a slog to look for it in pharmacies.
The Times also noted that, in covering a dozen pharmacies and other stores that sell RAT kits, none of the brands found on sale matched those of tests supplied by the government during the recent rounds of mass testing.
