A road on the edge of Norwich is set to lose its second pharmacy in the space of just a few months, despite the ongoing global pandemic.
In August, the Boots pharmacy on Colman Road closed down after the company opted against renewing its lease when it expired.
Now, rival company Lloyds has announced that it too will be closing its branch on the same stretch of road, with prescriptions to be handed out there for the final time on December 11.
Roger Ryan, city councillor for the University ward, who campaigned against the closure of the Boots branch, said it “beggars belief” that a second pharmacy was closing on the road.
He said: “To lose one pharmacy is bad enough but to lose two in such a short space of time is disastrous. To me, it just shows how little these companies understand about the local community.
“It is a fair old walk to other pharmacies in the area, particularly for older and more vulnerable people. I would like to think Lloyds would reconsider, but Boots did not take much notice so I can’t see Lloyds will either.
“It is such a key facility and I can’t understand how it wouldn’t be making a profit, particularly now its closest competitor has closed.”
However, a spokesman for the pharmacy said the site was no longer financially viable.
They said: “We don’t take the decision lightly to close any pharmacy, but the world of healthcare and patient behaviour is changing, and market conditions have been challenging for some time now. We are sorry to have to close this store, but it is not financially viable for us to keep it open any longer.
“As part of our decision-making process, we have looked at other community pharmacy provision in the area with a view to mitigating the impact on patients as much as possible. There is a LloydsPharmacy in Earlham West Centre which is 1.2 miles away.
“Some people may also want to look at online options such as our repeat prescription service which comes with free delivery. We fully understand the impact of this change, especially for people that have been customers for a long period of time.”
They added: “ We would like to reassure our patients that we will be doing all that we can to support a smooth transition and ensure continuity of their medicines and care. We will also be supporting our colleagues at this difficult time and redeploying members of the team where possible to other roles in the business where suitable vacancies exist. “
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