LloydsPharmacy have announced that they will axe their outlets within Sainsbury’s supermarkets “over the coming months” following a strategic review “in response to changing market conditions.”
They are “exploring options” for each branch and will confirm closure plans “branch-by-branch” over the course of the year.
Kevin Birch, chief executive officer of LloydsPharmacy, said, “This decision has not been an easy one and we understand that our patients and customers may have questions about how the change will affect them.
“We would like to thank them for their continued support and assure them that we are committed to providing a smooth transition over the coming months.
“I am very grateful to all our colleagues for their dedication to our patients, customers and communities.”
A Sainsbury’s spokeswoman said, “LloydsPharmacy is withdrawing pharmacy services from our stores over the coming months.
“We will work with them to ensure customers are clear on how they can access an alternative pharmacy provision to meet their needs.”
Nigel Swift, deputy managing director at pharmacy group Phoenix UK, said, “This announcement is the clearest possible sign of the dire situation facing community pharmacy in England as a result of insufficient government funding.
“Since the start of the pharmacy contract there has been a massive cut in real-term funding resulting in hundreds of closures.
“This has to be a wake-up call for government.”
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