North Staffordshire pharmacy to stay open after being saved from …
A Clayton pharmacy has been saved from closure – and is now offering new services. Westbury Pharmacy, in Westbury Road, was previously operated by Lloyds, and had been earmarked for closure.
But it has been saved by independent operators and has reopened as an independent pharmacy. And it will now be offering new services, including free NHS-led services such blood pressure testing, weight loss clinics, urinary tract infection testing and testing for diabetes.
The pharmacy also provides pneumonia and flu vaccinations, along with their prescription collection service. It also does not charge for delivering prescriptions for vulnerable patients.
MP Aaron Bell visited the pharmacy last Tuesday (August 15) to cut the ribbon. Head pharmacist Mohammed Kolia said: “Clayton has been affected because of the closure of the Lloyds in Sainsburys and the possibility of more to follow.
Mohammed Kolia who has taken over the former Lloyds pharmacy in Westbury Park which has been renamed Westbury Pharmacy.
“We have managed to ensure that it’s still open to provide services. We approach Lloyds and came to an agreement. The biggest thing for us is that we’re a local independent pharmacy.
“We are providing independent services to the local community. Elderly people would struggle to go further down the road. They have the pharmacy right opposite their house now.
“They’ve got services here that are ones they will need, such as urinary tract infection and blood pressure testing. It’s designed to ensure that people don’t need to go to their GP. They can be seen here free of charge.”
The pharmacy employs five people, some of whom were previous staff. Also working at the store are Mohammed Waqas, who is also a prescribing pharmacist, and Keele University pharmacy student and dispenser, Inarha Nourani.
Mohammed, who has been a pharmacist for 12 years, continued: “A lot of GPs have a patient backlog. The services we now offer here were previously not available. If the pharmacy services had stopped in this area it would have been devastating.”
Aaron Bell MP said: “I am delighted that this community pharmacy has been saved for the people of Westbury Park and Clayton, and that Mr Kolia and his team are already doing such an excellent job getting to know their patients and helping to take pressure off our local GPs. I was really impressed by the services on offer.”
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References
- ^ Hygiene inspectors order ‘dirty’ North Staffordshire sandwich shop to clean up its act (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
- ^ or click here (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)