In the lead up to Christmas the demand for RATs skyrocketed overnight, as family reunions took place and people wanted to keep their loved ones safe from COVID-19 during a time of increased socialising.

Pharmacies across Wagga reported selling out of the product before Christmas Day even arrived, and as the new year approaches, they are struggling to find new stock amid warehouses shortages.

Pharmacist Luke van der Rijt at Southcity Pharmacy said they sold out of RATs on Monday - an amount they assumed would last a few days - and are not expecting any more stock until the end of the week at the earliest.

"There will be limits per person to ensure enough can get around to those that need them," he said.

During a visit to Wagga on Tuesday Premier Dominic Perrottet called on NSW residents to be more discerning when it comes to COVID testing, opting for a RAT rather than a PCR test where possible to take pressure off the system.

There are currently around 150,000 PCR tests being conducted each day in the state, as people spend hours queuing in line and healthcare staff work tirelessly to process the swabs.

Mr van der Rijt said these comments by the Premier will likely put even more pressure on pharmacies as they struggle to meet local demand.

"We were expecting [RATs] to be popular, but not this popular," he said.

"We didn't anticipate wholesalers running out."

Not only has the pharmacy been inundated with calls from locals trying to purchase the tests, but they've had calls from as far as Sydney and Newcastle from those desperate for the product.

Questioned about the lack of supply on Tuesday, Mr Perrottet said the government has ordered 20 million RATs to give out for free - however, these are not due until the end of January.

Pharmacist Mina Estafanos at the Forest Hill Pharmacy said "no one expected [the RATs] to be such a hit", and that the government may have also underestimated the demand.

When asked if the government should have done more to prepare ahead of the holidays, Mr Estafanos said it is "a little bit late for that now, the crisis is here".

"We're always doing the reaction and not being proactive," he said.

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Mr Estafanos said it isn't "logical" for the Premier to urge the community to seek out RATs instead of PCR testing when "there's a very very limited amount".

He believes the community wants to make sure they're doing the right thing, and a PCR test can provide much-needed assurance during this challenging time.

"Everyone wants to make sure even if it's not for their own safety, it's for their family and friends' safety," Mr Estafanos said.

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