KUALA LUMPUR: Covid-19 self-test kits have been flying off the shelves as soon as they were made available at drugstores in mid-July.
Distributing drugstores are catering to a surge in demand, reaching as high as thousands of orders placed on their e-commerce sites.
Siang Pharmacy Sdn Bhd assistant sales and operation manager Kuah Chek Hean said that more than 5,000 kits have been sold since they began taking pre-orders in late June.
"We allocated over 200 to 500 kits per branch, depending on the store size and location.
"Just two days ago, one of our 14 branches, which is located in a major city, sold out all 500 kits in less than a day. And at the same time, orders for these kits have been coming in every day.
"We noticed that usually, manufacturers would purchase the kits in bulk for their workers, to get them tested before allowing them to come to work.
"We take this skyrocketing demand from our customers as a good sign, that everybody's health awareness is at its highest nowadays," he told New Straits Times when contacted, today.
However, Kuah said, it has been challenging to cater to the surge in demand from the consumers.
"These kits are often sold out within a day, sometimes hours after we replenish its stock on the shelves.
"It is challenging as we have to wait for around one to two weeks until we can get the stocks from our suppliers again.
"However, I am glad to see that the public is taking steps to get themselves tested, to make sure that they are not a silent carrier," he said.
The ceiling price for each kit, which is set at RM39.90, is also one of the factors that have encouraged people to get themselves tested.
"It is quick and affordable for consumers to test themselves, especially when they can do it in the comfort of their home".
Another Covid-19 self-test kit distributor, Big Pharmacy, has also been catering to an increase in orders since early July.
Its marketing manager Liew Chui Ying said the constant demand from consumers has helped boost the drugstores' revenue during this Covid-19 pandemic.
"We took pre-orders for the self-test kits at the beginning of July, and more than thousands of requests came in.
"We officially started selling these kits at our physical stores as well as e-commerce site on July 29.
"Consumers can also get their hands on the kits via Grabmart, or directly order via Whatsapp message to their nearest store assistant," she said.
The sales, Liew said, were overwhelming, right from the beginning.
"We have been restocking our self-test kits supplies almost every week, sometimes even up to two to three times in a week.
"Our team is trying their level best to fulfil the demand and also continue to explore other brands for our customers' benefit.
"Looking at the ongoing purchasing rate, we foresee the demands coming in will continue to grow further," she said.
Consumers have resorted to getting themselves tested as the country continues clocking 5-digits new cases every day.
Farahin Fahrurrozi, 28, from Selangor said that she gave the self-test kits a try after finding out her 2-year-old nephew had tested positive for the virus.
"We found out that he had caught the virus from his daycare. Without thinking twice, I headed to a nearby pharmacy and purchased the kits in bulk for all my family members to get tested," she said.
The test kits, she said, are similar to pregnancy test kits.
"I sampled my saliva and waited for about 15 to 30 minutes before the lines (indicating the result) appear.
"Two lines would mean positive and one line indicates negative. I felt like it was the longest 15 to 30 minutes of my life, before seeing one line appear.
"My heart almost burst with relief. I am satisfied enough with these results, and I've decided not to get myself tested again at nearby clinics," she said.
Another consumer who had purchased the kits out of the Covid-19 test were also relieved to see the one-line appear.
Nur Shahirah Shahar, 22, from Penang had gotten her mother and herself tested after finding out they are one of the close contacts to a relative who is Covid-19 positive.
"I found out about these kits via Twitter, and I did my research in understanding the accuracies.
"When we found out that we were close contacts to one of my relatives, I've immediately purchased these kits and got myself and my mother tested.
"I'm happy that these kits are made available to the public. It's quick, affordable and easy, especially for those who want instant results," she said.