Pharmacists warn patients 'if you abuse us, you may lose us'

Pharmacists across Hertfordshire today warned that unless people start behaving more responsibly in their pharmacies during the coronavirus outbreak, they may have to restrict opening hours or even close.

Community Pharmacy Herts which represents the county’s 240 pharmacies say some patients are over-ordering their medicines and in some cases, verbally abusing staff.

The statement comes as pharmacists are experiencing a surge in demand for all their services which includes dispensing medicines and giving health advice to people who might otherwise have gone to their GP.Pharmacists are asking people to bear with them while they deal with everyone’s prescriptions and replenish stocks of medicines. They’re stressing staples like ibuprofen and paracetamol which were in short supply are being replenished.

What pharmacists are asking patients to do:

• Please only order what medicines you really need, order your normal quantity of medicines but allow a little more time for collection or delivery time than usual

• Please only visit your pharmacy for essential things,

• Check the NHS website for latest opening hours particularly around the next two Bank Holidays in May

• If you can get someone else to collect your medicines, please do as it will free up a delivery slot for someone more vulnerable.