ARCHIVED - Alicante pharmacies struggle to meet demand for Covid rapid tests
32,000 antigen tests sold in six days across Valencia region's three provinces, including Alicante
Pharmacies in the Valencia region reportedly sold out of Covid rapid tests just days after they went on sale, with an estimated 32,000 snapped up in the first week of authorised purchase without prescription.
Data from healthcare research consultancy firm IQVA, shows that between July 19 and 25, demand for the rapid antigen tests was 300 per cent higher than the previous week, with Valencia being the autonomous region with the country's fifth highest sales - seven per cent of the total sold nationally.
"They are selling faster than we had forecast, so much so we have run out of stock at times and have had to order more", says one pharmacy in Valenica where almost 350 tests were sold in two weeks.
According to IQVA, this is the case across the region, with pharmacies selling out of tests and struggling to meet the demand, which is highest amongst people aged between 18 and 30, and parents with teenage children.
During the week of July 19 to 25, 386,155 antigen tests were sold in Spain, but while they flew off the shelves in the Valencia region, there was a low up-take in the neighbouring Region of Murcia, where just 2,169 tests were sold over the counter.
IMAGE: Archive
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