No out of hours pharmacies!

Were there ever 24 hour pharmacies in all towns ?
They certainly did evening and weekends here.

Nope no pharmacy open here 24 hours only till 10pm.

I think we have an emergency number to phone, if you turn up and the pharmacy is closed. Will check that out.

Not in our town the nearest one is 7 miles away.

We have one in our city with a very clever system. The pharmacy is shut but if you enter a code on a keypad or QR, the prescription is dispensed by machine, 24 hours. Hopefully more like this will be rolled out.

Basgetti

We have one in our city with a very clever system. The pharmacy is shut but if you enter a code on a keypad or QR, the prescription is dispensed by machine, 24 hours. Hopefully more like this will be rolled out.

Our local pharmacy has a machine to fill most prescriptions, it doesnt have a keypad to ask for it YET, it will come soon enough.

You are in France?
Or am I mixing you up with another poster.

Basgetti

We have one in our city with a very clever system. The pharmacy is shut but if you enter a code on a keypad or QR, the prescription is dispensed by machine, 24 hours. Hopefully more like this will be rolled out.

It still needs a person to make up the prescription and check it, though. It’s not fully automated so won’t dispense anything in the middle of the night without a human being involved. Most areas will have an emergency pharmacist available, though, for life-threatening cases, even if it’s at a hospital.

My Dh once forgot his BP meds when we went to the US. It cost $700 to get ten days worth of tablets!

True, SueDonim. We’re lucky enough to have a local pharmacy (Tesco Extra) open until 11pm each day too. Tbf, though, as my husband’s meds are vital I can’t recall one or other of us ever forgetting to collect during usual working hours. The only occasions we haven’t collected were when he was an inpatient, so obviously not a problem.
In these straightened times, I wonder whether it’s a question of financial viability, keeping a pharmacy opened and adequately staffed on the off-chance that someone may have forgotten?

Certainly independent pharmacies are under financial pressure because of costs. As I understand it, they’re paid a standard rate for the job but it doesn’t always cover the costs of prescriptions.

You’re right, though, it is up to us to make sure we have enough meds. It was definitely my dh’s fault he didn’t pack his meds for the US. Luckily he managed to claim most of the cost back but words were had!

Our nearest late night one eg 11pm is 25 miles away.

So you've done this more than once?

Why hold pharmacies responsible?

To be honest, I wouldn't really expect a pharmacy to be open 24 hours.

We have one that stays open until 10:00.

butterandjam

So you've done this more than once?

Why hold pharmacies responsible?

People should take more responsibility for their meds and not expect pharmacys to be there 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Put your repeats in !!!

Try living in a pretty little market town with no out of hours anything. Buses stop in early evening, taxis have to be booked in advance. No NHS dentists and a 5 week wait for GP appointments. All the shops shut at 5ish and so do the vets, who have no out of hours access either.
But I remember that when I was young there was also Early Closing on one day and nothing was open on Sundays.

People adapt accordingly.

If I had run out of Blood thinners, I would have waited until the next morning. Missing x1 dose isn't the end of the world, they take a few days to change the blood back. The info in the packet gives advice on missed doses.

Or taken low dose aspirin (other meds allowing).

We have a rota of pharmacies locally which open late, and/ or on Sundays, but do not remember ever any open around the clock. How could any pharmacy afford to staff this?

I’m only on low dosage statins but when I’m down to 2 weeks supply I request another prescription so I’ve always got an adequate buffer