UNCERTAINTY hangs over the future of a pharmacy chain with branches across south Devon.

The company has previously announced it is to withdraw its pharmacy services from Sainsbury’s supermarkets, including the store at Penn Inn, Newton Abbot.

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting has said he is ‘really alarmed’ by suggestions that major pharmacy chains such as Lloyds are considering ‘pulling’ their branches from the market.

It has now been suggested that the Lloyds group may be reviewing its community pharmacies as well and may be looking to sell some branches,

Last August, its Teignmouth branch was closed for some weeks due to ‘staffing shortages’ leaving customers without prescription medication. 

The Den Road pharmacy was being forced to close at times after experiencing ‘disruption’ to its services. 

Lloyds also has branches in Bovey Tracey and Chudleigh.

The pharmacy industry has warned that without greater funding for the sector, which has remained unchanged since 2019 despite rapid inflation costs, a number may be forced to close.

This comes at a time when pharmacy services are under greater pressure to help the NHS and a Government announcement that pharmacies will now be able to prescribe GP medications for common ailments such as earache, sore throat, sinusitis, impetigo, shingles and infected insect bites as well as oral contraceptives.

NHS England says its plan will free up 15m GP appointments over the next two years - around two per cent of the total.

Data shows there are now fewer local chemists than any time since 2015.

Rising operational costs, staff shortages and reduced government financial support have been blamed.

It is understood Lloyds pharmacy is reviewing its local estate and may be looking to sell some branches. 

The company has said it regularly reviews its estate to ensure it is operating sustainably and any decision to sell stores is ‘taken in the interests of patients, colleagues and the business’.