Frustrated pharmacists have complained to the competition regulator after a major supplier of P2 face masks increased their wholesale price from $2.50 to $38.50 per unit, amid increased demand following the bushfires and coronavirus outbreak.

Pharmacy Guild Victorian president Anthony Tassone referred the issue to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission last week, accusing Livingstone Pty Ltd of "being opportunistic in significantly increasing the prices of their goods during a public health scare to maximise profit and price gouge customers."

"It's just an extraordinary price increase," he told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Pharamacists have complained to the ACCC about supplier price hikes on face masks. Credit:Getty

Mr Tassone said pharmacists were bearing the brunt of customer frustration over the 1500 per cent mark-up, which they had no choice but to pass on to consumers.