South Australia's Premier will ask the consumer watchdog to investigate reports that the Victorian and New South Wales governments have requisitioned rapid antigen tests bound for the state.
SA pharmacies and other businesses have reported making large rapid antigen test (RAT) orders that have subsequently gone missing.
SA Premier Steven Marshall said while interstate governments had "completely and outright utterly rejected this as a suggestion", he believed there should be an independent investigation into the reports.
"South Australians have every right to be outraged if these allegations are correct," Mr Marshall told radio station FiveAA on Wednesday morning.
"Any interference in the supply of rapid antigen tests to South Australia is completely and utterly unacceptable."
Mr Marshall said he would write to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and ask for the matter to be investigated.
"I think this is the right body if there has been interference in the market and certainly to see whether it was even legal," he said.
South Australia was the second-last state to allow the use of RATs after the government overturned a ban on December 23, but finding them on retail shelves has been difficult as demand outstrips supply globally.
Close contacts of positive cases can access two RATs for free, but everyone else must purchase their own.
Mr Marshall said people wanted access to RATs for a wide variety of reasons, such as visiting vulnerable family members.
"There's a million uses for these," he said.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia SA branch president Nick Panayiaris said there were anecdotal reports from retailers that stock was being diverted.
"Our members are really frustrated in terms of being able to source these tests," he said.
"They've been told their order which is supposed to be delivered, let's say, this Friday has all of a sudden been delayed.
"The only feedback that they seem to be getting at the moment that the plane has been delayed."
But Mr Panayiaris said that, when some retailers had demanded answers, they had been told that the "plane load of stock has basically been acquired by someone else".
"That's the worrying bit – who is this someone else and why is it that some of this stock can be diverted when, in many cases, some of this stock has actually been pre-purchased," he said.
The NSW and Victorian governments have been contacted for comment.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was not aware of any RATs being requisitioned from orders bound for South Australia.
"I don't believe that's accurate, [but] I'm happy to check it out," he said.
Mr Andrews said he had not seen Mr Marshall's comments, but said it may be the case that Victoria simply placed its orders first.
"I'm not here today to have an argument with Premier Marshall," he said.
"Everybody is trying to source the same thing at the same time and it might be in the eye of the beholder, whether something's been requisitioned or whether we just got an order in before they did."
Mr Marshall said South Australia had plenty of RATs for testing close contacts and for use in the public service.
He said the state had stockpiled 1.4 million tests, and the government had on Wednesday placed an order for an additional 5 million.
SA Health Minister Stephen Wade said while the reports of RAT hoarding were unconfirmed, the government was sufficiently worried to investigate.
"It's an extremely concerning event if it is happening because one of the most important things to do in a pandemic is maintain supply chains," he said.
Mr Wade said the SA government had an order of 3.6 million tests due to arrive in February.
"We certainly have not asked for any orders to be prioritised at the expense of retailers and pharmacies," he said.
