Bucks County Pharmacies Struggling To Keep Up With Demand For COVID-19 Tests
CHALFONT, Pa. (CBS) -- As Bucks County sees a record number of COVID cases, pharmacies can hardly keep up with the demand for testing. More than 1,100 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Bucks County on New Year's Day, according to Pennsylvania's Department of Health.
That is the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the county since the pandemic began.
Places like the Chalfont Pharmacy say it's causing the number of requests for COVID-19 testing to swell.
The phone hasn't stopped ringing for weeks at the Chalfont Pharmacy.
"It's constant COVID testing," pharmacist Lee Segal says.
Segal says demand exploded as omicron started spreading in the area.
"It's a little concerning. I'm surprised all of the cases that developed," Segal said.
The pharmacy offers rapid COVID testing.
Tina Stillwagon got her rapid test at the pharmacy after not being able to find an at-home test anywhere.
"I went to all the CVS's that are around me and I went to a Walgreens and then I gave up because I don't want to be out in the world, you know, looking with all this virus going around," Stillwagon said.
At-home tests are so hard to come by. Chalfont Pharmacy doesn't offer them, but Sellersville Pharmacy does -- if they are able to keep them in stock.
"Last Friday, we sold 436 tests in one day maybe in like three or four hours. All sold out," Jay Patel said.
Sellersville Pharmacy used to sell about a handful of at-home tests a day but the surge in demand came from omicron.
"We're getting another shipment of like 400 tests tomorrow, and I'm expecting them to be gone by the end of the day as well," Patel said.
The pharmacy has a limit of three testing kits per person, but the word of them being in stock spreads quickly.
If you notice at-home COVID tests cost more at small pharmacies than big box stores, Sellersville Pharmacy says that's because the federal government is giving big box stores a subsidy that the smaller guys are not receiving.
