The future of all 5 Jhoots pharmacy branches on the Isle of Wight is in doubt this week, with the doors closing amid growing concerns about staff pay and the wider stability of the chain.
Branches in Ryde, Cowes, East Cowes and Sandown are understood to have shut their doors without notice in recent days and weeks, leaving Ventnor as the only Jhoots pharmacy currently still operating on the Isle of Wight – but it is not clear for how much longer.
It comes as the pharmacy regulator General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) confirms it is actively investigating issues within the Jhoots business, which has more than 60 locations across England. The watchdog has imposed restrictions on how the company can operate, while a parallel investigation is being carried out by the Department of Health and Social Care.
According to The Pharmaceutical Journal, the GPhC said it had taken action to protect patients and the public following multiple concerns raised about the operation of the business. These include staffing levels, medicine supply issues, and failures in meeting contractual obligations.
Locally, the closures have left residents in the affected towns facing uncertainty about prescription access, particularly for vulnerable patients and those without easy transport links to other pharmacies. Those who attend Jhoots in Sandown have been told this week to go elsewhere.
No public statement has yet been made by Jhoots Pharmacy regarding the closures or future plans for its Isle of Wight operations. It is not known whether the company intends to reopen the affected branches or if permanent closures are being considered.
For those that are able, an alternative option could be to use Pharmacy2U – an online repeat prescription service providing NHS Services plus much more.. They deliver items through the postal system.
Never had a problem
https://www.pharmacy2u.co.uk/
Agree completely
Whilst I would not criticise the mail order Pharmacies, the one thing that cannot be ignored is that by using them patients are putting at risk the viability of the many excellent Pharmacies on the Island.
if you do not support them you will lose them
Many offer delivery to your home.
USE THEM OR LOSE THEM
I would never use them again. My delivery is often wrong with missing items, and the last straw was my Mounjaro Pen not being put in the ice pack to keep it cool so it arrived warm. I injected and when removing the liquid spurted everywhere. Had to phone them 6 times over a period of 2 weeks to get anyone to look into it – they then had the audacity to say they checked the CCTV and the Pen WAS put into the Ice Pack – rubbish!! Unless, of course, it nibbled it’s way through the packaging and wriggled out of the ice pack on it’s own. I’ve now moved to Seaview Pharmacy who are excellent !!!
I already moved to Regents in E Cowes.Can’t put up with Hoots anymore.No stock, closed many times.
Lloyd’s Pharmacy were the best.
Agree. Regent in East Cowes are good.
I know it’s the same in Devon and Cornwall and lots of other areas, gave up with the Cowes one and went to Day Lewis.
Rubbish pharmacy i went sonewhere else when this lot took it over apparently really bad reviews plenty of others to choose from