Pharmacy discussion.

[jfollows]

Split from this thread

I don't go to Boots if I can avoid it, which I accomplish primarily by having my prescriptions delivered by post and any other potential purchases I buy online.
I always found the pharmacy a miserable experience, lots of waiting around and then finding out they didn't have everything so you were condemned to a subsequent experience of waiting around when they did.
But mainly because I can't find anything in their stores. The layout is confusing (to me) and I'm not a regular shopper for most of the things they stock, so I don't know what to look for or where to look for it. So I end up wandering up and down aisles.
The only time I have been recently was for my 'flu vaccination, in 2021. But they didn't do the Covid-19 one in the same store, for that I had to go elsewhere. Just a pain. So I don't know why they still exist.

I did visit them once as an IT supplier back in the 1990s, and recall that I had to write them a formal letter explaining why their network processor was working better than they thought it should, it was an unusual kind of thing to write. They seemed satisfied by my explanation (it was an IBM 3746-900 which will mean nothing to the majority of people who read this).

 

[GusB]

I don't go to Boots if I can avoid it, which I accomplish primarily by having my prescriptions delivered by post and any other potential purchases I buy online.
I always found the pharmacy a miserable experience, lots of waiting around and then finding out they didn't have everything so you were condemned to a subsequent experience of waiting around when they did.
But mainly because I can't find anything in their stores. The layout is confusing (to me) and I'm not a regular shopper for most of the things they stock, so I don't know what to look for or where to look for it. So I end up wandering up and down aisles.
The only time I have been recently was for my 'flu vaccination, in 2021. But they didn't do the Covid-19 one in the same store, for that I had to go elsewhere. Just a pain. So I don't know why they still exist.

Boots is a strange one. Locally, there are three branches in what is a relatively small town; there's one on the High Street, and a further two in retail parks on the south side of the town. I haven't visited the latter two, so I've no idea if they're busy, but the former is definitely a shadow of its former self. Years ago it used to have a fairly good record section which, along with Woolworth and a local independent shop, provided a few places from which to buy music. Obviously we've moved on from records and tapes, but the place always seemed busy and it was often rammed in the run-up to Christmas.

The last time I was there, I think there only were only about a dozen people in the shop, including staff. I'll occasionally pop in and buy a sandwich, or if I'm in town and remember that I need shower gel or deodorant I'll buy it there as their offers can be quite good. I've never used their pharmacy (I've got a serial prescription set up with the village chemist).

I'm not sure if it's on the list of stores that are to due to close, but I wouldn't be surprised if that branch closed. If it does, there will be a rather large gap on the High Street.

 

[WAB]

Boots is a strange one. Locally, there are three branches in what is a relatively small town; there's one on the High Street, and a further two in retail parks on the south side of the town. I haven't visited the latter two, so I've no idea if they're busy, but the former is definitely a shadow of its former self. Years ago it used to have a fairly good record section which, along with Woolworth and a local independent shop, provided a few places from which to buy music. Obviously we've moved on from records and tapes, but the place always seemed busy and it was often rammed in the run-up to Christmas.

The last time I was there, I think there only were only about a dozen people in the shop, including staff. I'll occasionally pop in and buy a sandwich, or if I'm in town and remember that I need shower gel or deodorant I'll buy it there as their offers can be quite good. I've never used their pharmacy (I've got a serial prescription set up with the village chemist).

I'm not sure if it's on the list of stores that are to due to close, but I wouldn't be surprised if that branch closed. If it does, there will be a rather large gap on the High Street.

If Boots goes, it is highly likely someone else will nab the licence and stay in the area; pharmacy licences are highly sought-after in many locations.

 

[Dai Corner]

If Boots goes, it is highly likely someone else will nab the licence and stay in the area; pharmacy licences are highly sought-after in many locations.

Here in Newport, I hear they're keeping their city centre and retail park branches but closing small neighbourhood ones.

Pharmacies in general must be gold mines, being paid to give stuff away free to a large proportion of the population (everyone in Wales).

 

[gswindale]

If Boots goes, it is highly likely someone else will nab the licence and stay in the area; pharmacy licences are highly sought-after in many locations.

Really?

Round here, we had one within walking distance - now closed. One within a 5 minute drive that was open until 10pm (part of Sainsburys) - now closed. There is one still within a 5 minute drive, but closes at 6pm, so not much use when you get a 5pm appointment for your toddler after the nursery rings you up at 2pm. The nearest 10pm opening one is a somewhat further drive.

Last Autumn, I found it quite tricky finding one that was open and had the right antibiotics for my prescription - not made any easier by the fact that the Dr's surgery sent it electronically to one and so they had to faff around getting it back into the main prescription system when they didn't have it - and given that it's now becoming more of a hassle to find a pharmacy in a town of 115k, I find it hard to believe that the licences are sought after!

 

[Busaholic]

Here in Newport, I hear they're keeping their city centre and retail park branches but closing small neighbourhood ones.

Pharmacies in general must be gold mines, being paid to give stuff away free to a large proportion of the population (everyone in Wales).

They are not, which is why Lloyd's Pharmacy closed all their shops within Sainsburys recently, due to government scrimping on their recompense: in any case, there is a shortage of pharmacists nationally, at a time when that same government wants them to take over some GP roles.

 

[Peter Sarf]

Really?

Round here, we had one within walking distance - now closed. One within a 5 minute drive that was open until 10pm (part of Sainsburys) - now closed. There is one still within a 5 minute drive, but closes at 6pm, so not much use when you get a 5pm appointment for your toddler after the nursery rings you up at 2pm. The nearest 10pm opening one is a somewhat further drive.

Last Autumn, I found it quite tricky finding one that was open and had the right antibiotics for my prescription - not made any easier by the fact that the Dr's surgery sent it electronically to one and so they had to faff around getting it back into the main prescription system when they didn't have it - and given that it's now becoming more of a hassle to find a pharmacy in a town of 115k, I find it hard to believe that the licences are sought after!

Yes we lost a very local chemist - it went soon after the Post Office next door closed.

There is a Boots on Wellesley Road, Croydon that closed a few years ago that GPs still send prescriptions to. The pharmacy in the surviving (bigger) Boots) still get people coming in for their prescription to no avail !. I have tried to get our preferred chemist deleted from the GPs records as we sometimes get a prescription just before going to visit Cardiff.

 

[jfollows]

They are not, which is why Lloyd's Pharmacy closed all their shops within Sainsburys recently, due to government scrimping on their recompense: in any case, there is a shortage of pharmacists nationally, at a time when that same government wants them to take over some GP roles.

Similar experience here - Boots used to have a pharmacy inside Waitrose but they closed pre-Covid and suggested we moved to the main Boots branch. Since then I don't think I've been to either Boots or Waitrose; for me the attraction was being able to do two things at the same time and once that was no longer possible neither shop has appealed to me.

 

[GusB]

If Boots goes, it is highly likely someone else will nab the licence and stay in the area; pharmacy licences are highly sought-after in many locations.

I'm not convinced that this will happen. The only other pharmacy nearby is Lloyd's. When the chain initially appeared, it took over a very small independent pharmacy, and it eventually ended up with two shops.

Since then, it has closed the second shop and relocated the original one to be closer to the centre. The Boots shop is a much, much larger unit (it was Fine-Fare previously).

 

[BJames]

Boots is a strange one. Locally, there are three branches in what is a relatively small town; there's one on the High Street, and a further two in retail parks on the south side of the town. I haven't visited the latter two, so I've no idea if they're busy, but the former is definitely a shadow of its former self. Years ago it used to have a fairly good record section which, along with Woolworth and a local independent shop, provided a few places from which to buy music. Obviously we've moved on from records and tapes, but the place always seemed busy and it was often rammed in the run-up to Christmas.

The last time I was there, I think there only were only about a dozen people in the shop, including staff. I'll occasionally pop in and buy a sandwich, or if I'm in town and remember that I need shower gel or deodorant I'll buy it there as their offers can be quite good. I've never used their pharmacy (I've got a serial prescription set up with the village chemist).

I'm not sure if it's on the list of stores that are to due to close, but I wouldn't be surprised if that branch closed. If it does, there will be a rather large gap on the High Street.

Boots on University of Nottingham's Uni Park campus closed as of 23/6/23 - there is another Boots pharmacy in the medical centre on campus but this is aimed almost exclusively at dispensing prescriptions, it does have some care products but no sandwiches etc or any of its wider selection. I thought it was particularly interesting given
a) it's always been really popular at lunchtime - the Spar opposite had the alternative selection of meal deals, and had its captive market with first year meal cards which could be spent at Spar but not Boots
b) Boots is a Nottingham-based company, owning some of the land on campus and its main warehouse and HQ across from the main campus.

A lot of people were surprised at its closure. But having said that, I don't know the state of its finances and whether it appeared more successful than it was. If its main trade was doing meal deals at lunchtime then perhaps it wasn't working for the company.

 

[tomuk]

They are not, which is why Lloyd's Pharmacy closed all their shops within Sainsburys recently, due to government scrimping on their recompense: in any case, there is a shortage of pharmacists nationally, at a time when that same government wants them to take over some GP roles.

I wouldn't say scrimping the reductions in funding is to correct an earlier unfocused scheme to encourage the opening of extra pharmacies. In some areas there is no shortage in fact the opposite but the previous scheme of funding seemed to ignore the reality on the ground and just funded over provision, in some cases forced 'local' pharmacies to close in place of chains. The current correction seems equally unfocused and is causing as many problems as it fixes.

b) Boots is a Nottingham-based company, owning some of the land on campus and its main warehouse and HQ across from the main campus.

Boots is one part of the multinational Walgreens Boots Alliance pharmacy conglomerate built up by billionaire businessman Stefano Pessina. The machinations elsewhere have impacted on Boots more locally.

​

 

[adc82140]

We used to have two pharmacies in town. One independent and one Lloyd's. Lloyd's had shorter opening hours than the independent. Lloyd's pulled out last year, and the independent one took over management turning it in to a second "branch" just across the road from their other unit, a situation which lasted for about six months. Now the original independent has closed, leaving the former Lloyd's with its restricted opening hours. People are not happy.

Do pharmacies have to apply to reduce opening hours? If so, this would have been a loophole to an hours reduction without having to bother with all that.

 

[75A]

Caught me out moving over to Northern Ireland.
+ side it's open on a Saturday morning unlike the local 2 we had in Leicestershire.
- It has half day closing on a Thursday, I thought that had finished decades ago.

 

[Silenos]

They are not, which is why Lloyd's Pharmacy closed all their shops within Sainsburys recently, due to government scrimping on their recompense: in any case, there is a shortage of pharmacists nationally, at a time when that same government wants them to take over some GP roles.

Indeed. The profitability of pharmacies, particularly the small independents, has reduced markedly over the last 30 years. Forty years ago a successful pharmacy or small chain could indeed be a gold mine, but nowadays many are finding that the sums just don’t add up. Once upon a time, despite frequent disputes about remuneration, the NHS contract could be relied on to supplement retail income in tough times and vice versa, now, like other parts of the NHS, the strains are showing on the dispensing side, and like other retailers they are experiencing the loss of custom from the high street.

It’s widely expected in the profession that a lot of community pharmacies are going to close at some point with a move to large centralised dispensaries that send your prescription items by post or to a collection point.

 

[gswindale]

Which really is a shame - our little one has been sent home from his nursery a few times with the instructions being to either see a Dr or a pharmacist. We used to be able to walk home via the pharmacy and get the advice that the nursery, effectively, don't know what they're talking about and that he's absolutely fine (he had a bit of a rash once which we initially thought was just some insect bites and the pharmacist agreed with that assessment (unprompted)).

Having a locally trained medically competent pharmacist around really does help ease the pressure on the NHS at the surgery point of contact as they are people you can go to who can take a look and advise on minor matters without it impacting the more major medical needs.