Staff at chemists across the Isle of Wight are facing growing abuse from frustrated patients due to the shortage of pharmacists – something that has been hindering the Island for months.
Some people have been going without essential medication for diabetes, epilepsy and other conditions, a local health watchdog has warned, simply because their local pharmacy has closed for the day at short notice.
An incident in Ventnor on Thursday saw the Boots Pharmacy, on the High Street, lock its doors with patients still inside due to the abuse the staff were receiving.
Issues were highlighted at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Associations of Local Councils last week, which heard how Islanders were waiting in hour-long queues to receive their prescription and people were making special trips only to find the chemists shut. The meeting also heard of an inequality of provision across the Island and worries that it could have a knock-on effect on other medical services.
Problems, however, had not been noted at small, independent pharmacies.
John Graney, of Brading, said a licence for a pharmacist in the town had been refused and travel to Ryde to collect a prescription for a parent and 2 children would be £15.
Joanna Smith, Healthwatch Isle of Wight manager, said many people had contacted them with negative feedback. Speaking after the meeting Ms Smith said:
“While we understand there is a shortage of pharmacists, it is unacceptable people have not been able to take prescribed medication which will impact their health and wellbeing.”
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The body has already contacted the Island’s Clinical Commissioning Group to see if GPs can issue prescriptions covering longer time frames, for example, 6 months instead of 1 or 3. It has also shared its concerns with the local pharmaceutical committee and will be contacting NHS England and Improvement, who commission local pharmacies, to escalate them and discover what action will be taken to ensure people can get the medication they need on the Island.
Healthwatch is asking that anyone who would like to share their feedback on Island pharmacies at the moment, good or bad, get in touch. You can email [email protected], call 01983 608608 or find out more online at www.healthwatchisleofwight.co.uk.
And the council are approving stupidly massive housing developments which will put even more pressure on our dysfunctional health service, some developers blandly promise to include health centres in their plans but cannot tell us where they are going to get the staff to man them as many of our existing surgeries are desperately short of doctors just as chemists are short of pharmacists.
These large proposed housing developments on the Island will be a disaster. There is no infrastructure to support it whatsoever. I agree with building affordable housing for Island residents but that has to be the absolute limit. Even now the natural growth of the Island population has exceeded the capacity of the facilities. There is no way to support any influx of population from the mainland.
Anybody had the unfortunate experience of having to use Lloyds pharmacy in newport sainsburys?
Always late opening, chopping and changing their times, and are the rudest counter staff I’ve ever encountered. How am I meant to get my elderly mothers medication in due time? I’ve changed pharmacies which is less convenient, but the service is very good.
Not a shortage of pharmacists – too many people on the island – another consequence of the ill thought out housebuilding plan
and whilst we are on the point – how many times have we all been into a pharmacy to see some bad mannered, ill tempered heroin junkie sat there demanding its methadone.? It is no wonder those who need medication through no fault of their own, have to wait, whilst these deadbeat, lowlife filth are served.
Actually there is a shortage of pharmacists. Get your facts right for once.
no there isn’t – too many people
Be one less if you buggered off. If you don’t like it move.
Only the sick go to a pharmacy , are you implying the whole island is ill?
So you want the Island all to yourself with your own private pharmacist, do you, isle of wighter? I can see from your outlandish, bigoted ravings that are serioulsly in need of your medication, But do try to calm down and look at things in a fair and balanced manner. Then you may be able to form a rational argument (though it may take a while in your state of mind).
nelson – try analysing the facts of the trends before speaking. The claims of shortages in every area are the symptom of over populating a small island. It isn’t difficult for you to understand. All the information is freely available on line – try looking and the next time you are told “no availability, no spaces or you are sat in a long queue of traffic – you can say to yourself – if there weren’t so many houses built on the island over recent times, I wouldn’t be waiting and waiting and waiting, having my time wasted, as well as going without, because of unfettered immigration and a council that is happy to over populate.
isle of wighter, try to understand your analysis before commenting. Over-population is a global problem, not just an Island one. True, it’s exascerbated by over zealous housing developments that have no supporting infrastucture, doctors, dentists, pharmacists, etc., but the main reason for the shortage of prescription medicines is because of increased global demand. And since you voted us out of Europe via Brexit, you cut off some supply routes to the UK, thereby adding to the shortages and increasing the cost. You have only yourself to blame for having to wait endlessly for your medication!
nelson – we are talking about the island and a perceived lack of pharmacists – stop trying to divert attention from your errors by talking about brexit
OK, isle of wighter, then tell us something positive for once – how do you propose to deal with your perceived over-population of the Island. A cull, perhaps?
And then tell us what you would do to reinstate our lost phormacies, doctors, dentists, etc?
Come on then, isle of wighter, a POSITIVE suggestion for a solution from you, please – Instead of your usual constant whingeing.
Perhaps those relying on methadone or other substitutes need to go to separate clinical areas around the Island.
Time to move off the island then old chap!
Could always get prescriptions delivered to your door for free from one of the many mainland central pharmacies. I always use Lloyds Direct – items always in stock, delivered the next day!
I stopped going to chemists at start of lockdown 2020 due to shielding & used Parmacy2U. Best place to get regular prescriptions. You order by phone, email or call they put request to doctors & you get meds sent to door. As long as you order properly you shouldn’t run out.
Well the “health watch” website has not been updated for over a year so that does not bode well.
But anyhow, I am just wondering where is all the money we were promised from Brexit that was going to be spent on the health service?
We are talking Conservative run government – need I say more?
I am glad that the article pictures a branch of national chain Boots as opposed to one of the Island Independents. Boots have an appalling reputation for not having prescriptions ready in a timely manner, and during lockdown, they actually closed branches completely and referred people to other INDEPENDENT Pharmacies, who they dumped their customer onto.
If the CCG etc do anything, I strongly suggest they haul the Boots Management in a demand proper answers as to their atrocious levels of service!
As the contract is managed by NHS England and not the local CCG, I suggest your demand they haul Boots Management in should be addressed to NHS England.
Pharmacy 4 U . Just order online and it comes through the door. No queuing at the counter
If everyone switch to mainland mail order pharmacies the Isle of Wight would lose many of our local Pharmacies as they depend on your prescriptions for revenue.
All the other services they provide would then be lost. There are many Pharmacies on the Island other than Boots and Lloyds who will deliver and help with regular repeats. Mail order Pharmacy is not the solution , more the downfall of local services. With decreasing access to GPS you need your local Pharmacists even more. Think logically.
You think it is bad now.. wait until all these new homes are built and filled… that will be about 2000 plus more people just in Ryde. It is going to become very busy over here, too many people, to many cars.. no parking, shops closing… no new doctors, no new hospital… imagi9ne the queues for the ferries, and the rip off prices… and the future summer tourists…
It’s about time the Island held National Park status to regulate building.
It is not the staff’s fault, why on earth be abusive towards them ???.
They are doing their job’s….
OK you may be frustrated annoyed etc , but that’s no excuse to be rude to the staff….
How would you feel if someone was abusive and rude to you whilst you are doing your job ???.
The staff at Ventnor Boots named above are always friendly & helpful but clearly under pressure. 99.9 percent of which are females being abused by both male & female customers. Unmasked junkies screaming/spitting threats in their faces during lockdown, with no one to help. Management insist the shop is closed when a pharmacist is not available & now due to management decisions, the shop appears under staffed. Staff should never be put in such threatening circumstances.
SHAME ON YOU BOOTS.
Why do they have to close the entire shop just because they don’t have a pharmacist?
Even worse the shop ie Boots closes completely, what gives, if they remained open ar least you could get over the counter medication until the pharmacist was actually back
It is because of problems with local pharmacies that we switched to Pharmacy2u. No more problems now. Excellent service at no cost to us. I thotoughly recommend them.
There’s shortage of Pharmacists because of the takeover by USA company Walgreens. These shortages have nothing to do with Brazil or the Pandemic. The staff shortages began immediately after the buyout in order to cut costs and increase their profits. This my opinion.
There’s a shortage of Pharmacists because of the takeover by USA company Walgreens. These shortages have nothing to do with Brexit or the Pandemic. I believe the staff shortages began immediately after the buyout in order to cut costs and increase their profits.