Article on Chemists for Metro News by Andrew Stunell

Written by Andrew Stunell MP on Wed 5th Mar 2003

Chemists Under Threat

Stockport's 62 chemist shops face a threat almost as bad as that now undermining sub post offices in the town. The Office of Fair Trading has announced that it wants to abandon the rule that says new pharmacies need permission to open. It sounds like a good idea to cut down on needless red tape. But already the big supermarket chains have declared they will be opening pharmacies in their stores. That means that your local chemist could go the same way as the butcher and the greengrocer.

That may be fine for those with cars who can get to the out of town superstores, but it won't be so good for mums with kids, the elderly and the frail - in other words most of those who go to their doctor's for a prescription, and then call at the chemists on the way home. Already there are dire predictions of closures, particularly likely to hit our smaller local shopping centres, where the chemist and the post office are vital.

I have had hundreds of patients get in touch with letters and petitions asking for this proposal to be dropped. I have written to the DTI and the Department of Health, as well as the OFT itself, supporting their call. It is an example of how what looks like a bright idea sitting behind a desk in London in fact makes no sense at all in the real world back in Stockport.

Most local chemists have a petition for you to sign. If you want to protect a vital local service, do pop in and add your name to this campaign.

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