Health professionals are incensed by dramatic price increases for face masks and other protective equipment by one of Australia's largest medical supply companies.

Key points: Pharmacist Linda Nguyen says Livingstone International is being greedy at a time of crisis

Pharmacist Linda Nguyen says Livingstone International is being greedy at a time of crisis Former ACCC chairman Allan Fels says the company should be blacklisted from future government tenders

Former ACCC chairman Allan Fels says the company should be blacklisted from future government tenders Other medical supply companies are selling the same products for significantly less

Pharmacist Linda Nguyen is a loyal customer of Livingstone International, which manufactures and supplies a large range of medical equipment to hospitals, aged care centres, pathology labs and government departments across Australia.

She says the company's prices for face masks have soared since the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed panic buying in Australia.

"When we had some quotes from the company back in January a box of the N95 masks would cost about $40," Ms Nguyen told 7.30.

Pharmacist Linda Nguyen says Livingstone International's prices for masks have increased during the pandemic. ( ABC News: Michael Barnett )

"Now they would cost about $700-$800 depending on the brand, and that would be about 20 masks per box."

Ms Nguyen's pharmacy has provided 7.30 with emails and invoices revealing details of Livingstone's extraordinary price hike since January.

"I'm just shocked with the greed of this company," she said.

"You cannot operate by exploiting the community during this time of crisis."

'This is price gouging'

Farren Ostilly says he noticed Livingstone International's prices going up in January. ( ABC News: Michael Barnett )

Farren Ostilly, managing director of wholesale distributor Chempharm, bulk buys from Livingstone International for a number of pharmacies across Victoria and Tasmania..

He said he first noticed the company raising its prices in early January when large parts of the country were affected by bushfires and smoke.

"Our customers were screaming out for the N95 P2 masks … so we placed an order with Livingstone for these masks and the pricing came in 27 per cent higher than our last purchase," he said.

"I actually wrote back to the manager who had sent me the product and I said 'I'm not prepared to accept this — this is price gouging'."

Since then, the company's prices for face masks have continued to go up.

'Their prices look excessive, exploitative, unjustified'

A box of 10 masks Livingstone International is selling for $531.08 on their website. ( livingstone.com.au )

Former chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Allan Fels, said there are opportunities in a crisis for consumers to be exploited by companies like Livingstone International.

"Their prices look excessive, exploitative, unjustified and unpardonable in current circumstances, unless they can give us a good explanation," he told 7.30.

The consumer crusader said even though Livingstone International has apparently been referred to the ACCC, there are currently no price control laws in Australia.

"If the Government is cracking down on individuals, why can't it crack down on companies?" he said.

"A company like Livingstone International has many contracts with the Government — the Government should review them. It should consider blacklisting that business."

In a statement to 7.30 Livingstone International said its face mask manufacturers had increased their prices by 10 to 20 times.

"Many other companies have gone out of stock, but we are providing access to these critical supplies even though our costs have greatly increased," the company added.

"No-one can be certain of how long the global shortage of face masks will continue. We are closely monitoring the situation and are working hard to source other suppliers so that we can resume our normal trading practices as soon as possible."

An investigation by 7.30 revealed that while Livingstone International is not the only company that has increased what it is charging for protective equipment during COVID-19, its prices are among the most expensive on the market.

A direct comparison shows that a box of 20 masks being sold for around $80 by other medical supply businesses is being sold for $531.08 by Livingstone International.

Watch this story tonight on 7.30.