Date: 3rd July 2003
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Andrew Turner, MP for the Isle of Wight has turned up the pressure on the Government to keep local chemists open. He has warned that proposals by the Office of Fair Trading could undermine the role of local pharmacies in dispensing NHS prescriptions, forcing thousands of them to close.

Mr Turner explained,
“Local pharmacies in towns and villages play a vital role in meeting people’s health needs across the Island, with qualified pharmacists available to advise on over-the-counter medicines and dispense and advise on prescription-only medicines.

“But proposals from the un-elected Office of Fair Trading could mean thousands of pharmacies are forced to close. This would be a further blow to local residents across Island already facing the loss of local Post Offices like Haylands and Parkhurst.

“We don’t want the Government changing the rules in a way that benefits the supermarkets and causes small chemists to close. It is time the Government understood more of people’s way of life outside the metropolitan areas. I will standing up for local people, and I expect them to do so too.”

Notes to Editors:

In January 2003, the Office of Fair Trading published a report on the liberalisation of the pharmacy market across the UK. It recommended that the current restrictions on dispensing NHS prescriptions should be lifted. These require owners of pharmacies to apply to the relevant health authority for a dispensing contract, which they must have in order to be able to be allowed to dispense NHS prescriptions.

The Government has a deadline of 30 June to publish a progress report on its proposals in response to OFT’s study on retail pharmacies.

There are an estimated 12,250 community pharmacies in the UK. Andrew Turner supported a Conservative motion in the House of Commons on 17th June, “That this House believes community pharmacies play a vital role in providing for local healthcare needs, with highly qualified pharmacists able to advise on general and over-the-counter medicines and to dispense and to advise on prescription-only medicines; notes that community pharmacies are truly local, with nine out of ten people considering it easy to get to a community pharmacy; and is concerned about any change which might lead to a reduction in the excellent services or accessibility currently provided by community pharmacies.”