Support your local pharmacy

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Docb

Docb

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Just been down to our local Independent Pharmacy and when I asked how he was doing, I got the reply, "Busy for all the wrong reasons". I had noticed that his car was there an hour before opening time. Seems everybody, not least the pharmacist, is cluttered up with pharmaceutical supply issues.

Anyway, as usual, all my medications (ordered yesterday, one of them late in the day) were ready for collection. I am sure he anticipates regular orders to make sure things are in stock when needed.

So, can I make a plea for those who still have a local Independent Pharmacy to check them out and support them if they can. They might, like mine, put patient care above corporate profit in deciding how to run their business and when necessary work that little bit harder to provide a better service.
 
Around here most of the chain Pharamacies have closed, and the Independents are feeling the strain. My Independent local one has not made my preordered prescription up for months, today a woman was complaining hers had been ordered a week ago and it was not ready. Though there always seems to be a queue of at least a 12 people waiting for scripts, no matter what time or day you these days. I popped in another Independent last week and they had a notice on their door saying because of closures they had waits for scripts being made.
 
Docb said:
Just been down to our local Independent Pharmacy and when I asked how he was doing, I got the reply, "Busy for all the wrong reasons". I had noticed that his car was there an hour before opening time. Seems everybody, not least the pharmacist, is cluttered up with pharmaceutical supply issues.

Anyway, as usual, all my medications (ordered yesterday, one of them late in the day) were ready for collection. I am sure he anticipates regular orders to make sure things are in stock when needed.

So, can I make a plea for those who still have a local Independent Pharmacy to check them out and support them if they can. They might, like mine, put patient care above corporate profit in deciding how to run their business and when necessary work that little bit harder to provide a better service.
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The Pharmacy I use is amazing. Whenever I am there I see a queue of people with queries because they don't get enough time to ask their GP. The Pharmacist is so polite and helpful.
 
I do use an independent already, the queue takes ages though, they’re never quiet
 
My local Tesco Extra pharmacy has reduced its opening times by a couple of hours a day, and has tried to institute a lunchtime closure for an hour. The assistants are run off their feet, and there are almost always long queues waiting for service.

I don't understand why "Tesco Management" have decided on this reduction of service, particularly when pharmacies are supposed to be providing some of the consultation previously the province of GPs.

Lloyds has already gone from Sainsbury's stores, so is that an omen for the future?
 
Hi All,
Interesting discussion and I use the one attached to my GPs for convenience and is a chain but always busy but generally they have been pretty good with me.
However they only use one wholesaler so on a couple of occasions when I have wanted Creon they have struggled.
So last week they could not get any and have been OOS for 3 weeks so I called my GP dispensary who within 10 minutes had sorted another supply from an internet pharmacy who happen to be based half a mile from my house ( did not know they were there).
I picked up the Creon the next day ( they do deliver) but my main desire was simply to get my medication.
So great to support local business but reliability of supply is most important but a good independent is probably a better bet than a chain who tend to have a specific requirement to use one wholesaler
 
Tesco pharmacies use two suppliers, and often suggest Badhams (which uses a third one) if their two can't supply something. Of course, that doesn't help if the medicine(s) being sought are not obtainable for love or money...
 
The ‘big issue’ is government cuts.
About a decade ago government stated they will cut pharmacy funding annually until they closed a third of pharmacies. This is true.
What you are seeing now is the result on yearly cuts. Think about it: Sainsbury’s got out , Lloyds got out, the rest hang on but cannot cope with demand that produces no profit.
It will only get worse.
Then add in supply issues which have only got worse over the past decade.
This is why I got out of pharmacy!
 
I'm using the big boots in the town centre. Normally no queue. I think most people use a neighnourhood one, but since my local boots closed have not found one i was happy with... i tried one independant (closed eves, weekends!) Also the one in tesco (very slo service, long queues).
I think eveyone uses the big boots for shampoo, sandwiches and hair dyes so no queues and good service if you go for prescriptions!
No good if you feel unwell, but I tend to keep a couple of months worth in, which is a good idea with recent shortages....
 
Tdm said:
I'm using the big boots in the town centre. Normally no queue. I think most people use a neighnourhood one, but since my local boots closed have not found one i was happy with... i tried one independant (closed eves, weekends!) Also the one in tesco (very slo service, long queues).
I think eveyone uses the big boots for shampoo, sandwiches and hair dyes so no queues and good service if you go for prescriptions!
No good if you feel unwell, but I tend to keep a couple of months worth in, which is a good idea with recent shortages....
Click to expand...
I don't use Boots but here and where my friend lives even the big town centre and and shopping mall ones have queues.
 
Docb said:
Just been down to our local Independent Pharmacy and when I asked how he was doing, I got the reply, "Busy for all the wrong reasons". I had noticed that his car was there an hour before opening time. Seems everybody, not least the pharmacist, is cluttered up with pharmaceutical supply issues.

Anyway, as usual, all my medications (ordered yesterday, one of them late in the day) were ready for collection. I am sure he anticipates regular orders to make sure things are in stock when needed.

So, can I make a plea for those who still have a local Independent Pharmacy to check them out and support them if they can. They might, like mine, put patient care above corporate profit in deciding how to run their business and when necessary work that little bit harder to provide a better service.
Click to expand...
I certainly support your plea for support to Pharnacies. They have been amazing for me both with an independent Pharamacy for many years including through Covid and now with the corporate Tesco Pharmacy since mid 2023.

It was highly noticeable that during Covid the Pharmacies didn't imitate their GP colleagues and bolt their doors, not answer their phone nor alter their email auto-response to say emails would only be checked once a day and no personal details should be written within an email. While our GP Surgery was to all intents and purposes closed during COVID (a disgrace as far as I'm concerned) our local Pharmacy increased their hours and using due distancing procedures were "there" for all their customers. The Pharmacies stepped up and took on the increasing commitment and - before during and since Covid burden that the NHS was promoting.

One of the local Pharmacies geographically close to our local Medical Centre has been a big disappointment and I have taken my business elsewhere; the Tesco Pharamcy has been seriously helpful, going well beyond what I felt was necessary and when immediately after I had my TIA & needed to terminate one medicine but take on 2 others the Head Pharmacist personally phoned me to discuss the repeat scripts that my Med Centre had failed to write some 27 days later and agree a strategy for an emergency immediate issue that day. Whatever the Corporate attitude might be I felt that the personal response was simply exceptional and they have my loyalty - even though its a long walk to this edge of town supermarket (the exercise is actually fine for me, if its not raining!).

So please generally support any Pharmacy that is doing what it can, despite the medicine shortages. So far I've been affected by Creon, needles and 3 delayed scripts from my (only) local Med Centre. The Med Centre is the size of a cottage hospital in a 3 storey building and is an example of how badly a large impersonal bureaucratic organisation can get Primary Care so wrong. The admin comes first, the Patients seem to be last. No doubt the Practice profits are good.
 
In my local area I had problems with the local independent so I do use Tesco, also they have longer opening hours which I find useful.
Maybe I will give the local one another go.
There’s only one local independent here, we have a boots, and another chain I cannot remember.
 
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