To think Pharmacies shouldn't shut for lunch anymore

[MrsBrie]

Hi,

It just seems so old fashioned and unnecessary and I don't see any argument for it. Yes, everyone is entitled to a lunch break - of course, but why does the entire pharmacy need to close? Can't they stagger the staff lunch breaks, like everywhere else?

It's not like it's not an important place? What about the people who need their prescriptions and can only pick it up in that hour? I suspect that's a lot of people.

Also, with GPs now really encouraging people to see their pharmacists first, this just seems even more unjustified.

Assuming it's not just me who thinks this?...

The 2 services you’ve specifically listed are:

handing out a prescription
seeing clinical work that has been offloaded by GPs

so both things that the pharmacist is needed for.
ao You think it’s old shined and unjustified for a person working all day in charge of the pharmacy to have any type of lunch break?
most pharmacies don’t make enough money to pay more than one pharmacist
YABVVU!

and for the person talking about online pharmacies even the most super efficient ones only offer next day delivery (at a cost) so how is that quicker?!

Don't fancy spending my lunchbreak trying to buy some emollient ointment, a packet of superthick sanitary towels and some Sudafed whilst a rattling junkie or somebody like my mother threatens to smash the place up if they don't get their prescription RIGHT NOW, to be honest.

What's the logic in needing a qualified pharmacist to hand over the drugs across the counter, but then have them delivered in vans by unqualified delivery drivers?? I've never worked that one out.

Our village pharmacy had a problem with struggling to get a locum pharmacist for nearly a week, last year. My drugs had been made up and signed off, but the counter staff couldn't hand them over without a pharmacist being present. I went home and then rang them up and asked them to deliver it, and it turned up the next day, happily handed over by a van driver.

Doesn't make any sense!

Just go in the hours when it’s open. Honestly, why are people so annoyed/frustrated over absolute non events these days!?

Well now a local boots in an incredibly busy popular area closes at lunchtime.

It never used to. They just didn’t dispense prescriptions then. And it was always really really busy ( massive student area)

Then for no reason, it started closing at lunch time. People are constantly walking up to it and trying to open the doors. There were 23 people waiting to get in last week

And it still continues to shut. Why?

Yes, we get that.

But why can't there be 2 pharmacists?

Surely most busy places would need 2 anyway.

Or is it a case of cost-cutting and making the patients wait?!

Presumably they had enough of getting an earful off people who went in during the pharmacists lunchbreak, so the better option all round is to close. Staff don't deserve to be shouted at.

Not always that easy if they're only open until 5.30pm and you work until that time yourself.

The lunch break may be the only time you have to pick it up.

I went to the pharmacy the other day whilst the pharmacist was on her lunch. There were about 6 people with clearly nothing better to do than moan and get arsey with the staff on the counter about the fact the pharmacist wasn’t there.
So it’s probably to avoid that, so the pharmacist can have their lunch in peace without folk demanding their pile cream be dispensed immediately and the staff working on the counter don’t have to tolerate the rude impatient people.

So your work lunch break aligns every day with your local pharmacists lunchbreak?

Most pharmacies are open on Saturdays too aren't they?

Edit well I don't know how the fuck that happened. I did not mean to quote you.

Indeed tracked and signed for covered the need for in person for high prescription as would be expected for maybe people who couldn’t leave the home originally. But basically now we don’t need actually open pharmacies unless we need it now if we can wait 24/48 hours we can have it delivered to our homes at no extra cost. My father has some very very high doses of pain meds delivered meant to be signed but not questions asked via his letter box. Good or bad it happens and it’s easier for those day at work who only have lunch hour or after hours when most pharmacies are closed.

Providing it is clearly advertised and stuck to (website, large print on the door), I can see why it is done.

Now give me a reason why banks shut earlier than they do that is valid.

Oh I do! I was going to say I bet it wasn't for no reason, i bet people were getting arsy that the pharmacist wasn't there so they decided it was easier to close. Then I noticed someone had already said that so I cleared it but forgot to clear quote.

That’s bullshit too let’s face it. Bankers earn plently.

Pretty easy to work out - the drugs are checked by the pharmacist then loaded in the van.
They've been checked on the way out of the pharmacy (which is what matters) so job jobbed.

What's the point in them staying open to sell front of counter items when you can buy those anywhere? Their primary service is dispensing prescription medication, which is presumably what people would be going for on their own lunch breaks.

. I’m not sure there was much shouting. Its definitely not a shouty area. More genteel.

Where do you propose we magic all these pharmacists from, I mean without magic how do you double the number of pharmacists over night?

Yep this is a strange loophole
Pharmacies can't legally conduct certain actions without a responsible pharmacist on-site (dispensing medication, handing out medication, selling behind the counter medicines etc) so even medication that has already been made up cannot be legally handed over unless a pharmacist is onsite.
The law was amended to allow online/internet delivery pharmacies to develop, so delivery was made exempt, but we've ended up with a strange loophole that allows dispensed medication to be delivered but can't be handed out at the pharmacy.

But they've been checked by the pharmacist when they're on the shelf ready to hand out over the counter! When I collect mine, the counter staff go to the shelf, pick the packet and hand them to me - at no time is the pharmacist involved nor consulted - they've already checked and signed them off.

Because pharmacies are not money makers usually and can't afford to employ two?

why are loads closing? Wouldn't happen if they are successful and profitable

so I assume they are cutting costs same as the cafe next door who now gives me only one sausage in my full English instead of the two I used to get.

Pharmacists need a break. Staggering breaks means that the pharmacy has less staff at any one time and is known to increase likelihood of errors being made.

Whether they shut the whole shop or just the pharmacy is actually regulated; it depends on whether the whole store is registered as a pharmacy or just the dispensary/healthcare area.

Yes indeed, I meant it completely literally. 😵‍💫 I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase?

I didn't say that anyone should skip lunch or that you did 🤔 I said that in Ireland, the pharmacists I know tend not to take a lunch break as they are so busy.

I didn't expect an instant reply at all but you disappeared pretty promptly, and yes you were misinformed - that was my point.

In terms of the supermarket pharmacies, you're misunderstanding what's been said here too. They cannot remain open without a pharmacist and perform any dispensing activities. For those wanting a prescription, it's the same whether they remain open but not dispensing, or closed.