You may have heard some talk about Boots stores reducing their portfolio from 2,200 to 1,900 stores and that one of those stores may be the Boots Pharmacy, next to the doctors surgeries on East street in Thame, Oxfordshire would be one of those closing their doors. The staff have stated that Boots Pharmacy is set to close on Friday 22nd March 2024, as part of Boots closures.
Social media posts suggest many are worried about what they are going to do when they need urgent prescriptions.
There are a few other pharmacists and chemists around the area, many have bus stops near to the pharmacies themselves.
There are online services and companies that you can sign up to that deliver your regular medication for free, you can discuss this with your current store like Boots or look online at Pharmacy2U service.
If you have any elderly relatives or people that may struggle to get to another pharmacy. If you are heading that way, it would be great if you were able to offer a lift in with you.
I believe some patients have written information advising them to discuss future prescriptions with a member of their team, as they would be happy to assist you.
How to update your Preferred pharmacy
Most prescriptions are sent electronically to the pharmacists now, so you should be able to change your preferred pharmacy on Patient Access…
Here is how you can update it if you are using the website version, you should be able to update it a similar way on the app, if that is your preference.
You would only need to update it on either the app or the website version, it will update it.
– Log into Patient Access
– Click ‘Home’
– Under the box for Upcoming appointments you should see a box for your Nominated pharmacy and it should have your details for the pharmacy your prescriptions are usually sent to.
– You should be able to select the box with the pink text that says ‘Choose’
– It should bring up a map and to the left there should be a place to type your postcode and you can select a pharmacy from the list, then click Continue.
Slightly different way:
– Select your Name in the top right
– Select ‘Account’
– Click on the Nominated Pharmacy tab
– Change nominated pharmacy
and Type in your postcode and select your new pharmacy.
Physical Prescriptions
You can usually also request a physical copy so you can take it to any pharmacy if you are passing, this is usually helpful if your medication can be hard to get hold of.
If you are prescribed a branded item, it might also be worth discussing with your doctor if they can put the generic, unbranded version on your repeat prescription if it won’t change anything, that way it will be easier to get a hold of, the same as if you get prescribed a tablet form, see if they have it available in liquid or capsule for example, as they have to prescribe exactly what is on the script.
You can check nearby Pharmacies on the NHS website’s Pharmacy checker, it should have all the details with their opening times, location and even their phone number, if you want to check if they have it in stock before you travel there.
Check your supplies
It is best to make sure you have a good supply over the holidays, so if you need regular medication, check how much you have available to you now for the upcoming weeks.
It is also helpful to request it a week or two earlier if they allow you to, so that there is no rush on acceptance, gives them a chance to get stock if there is a supply issue and leaves time for dispensing times.
Christmas is a busy and stressful time for many, being prepared should hopefully have a knock on effect and help everyone. Please also remember that pharmacists and their assistances and there to help you. Please be kind and patient, they take a lot of the brunt of things, as they are the ones that have to relay any bad news about supplies, deliveries and if there are any issues with the medication prescribed.
