THE closure of the LloydsPharmacy branch in the Brookwood Sainsbury’s supermarket has created a worrying backlog of prescriptions at Boots the Chemist in Knaphill, according to a concerned resident who contacted the News & Mail.

Ian Henderson, who lives on the borders of Knaphill and Goldsworth Park, says he has seen the time for Boots at Knaphill – where he is a regular customer – to fill his repeat prescription rise from three to four days to about a fortnight.

‘‘It will become critical,” Ian, 75, said. “I had a conversation with Boots when I was chasing my own prescription, which at the time was eight days since ordering.

“I was informed by a member of staff at Boots that I could expect to wait two weeks for any prescription request.  This was because of Lloyds in Sainsbury’s closing and so the number of requests to Knaphill Boots had increased dramatically.

“The system used to work well, I would order online then get a text to say that it was ready. That was all done within a fairly short timespan. 

“But what happens if I order as usual but then start running out of medication while I’m waiting for the prescription? That’s a big leap in the time I have to wait now.

“In a way I’m fortunate in that, although I have multiple medical issues, none is really serious.

‘‘But what about someone who is relying on their medication? What happens if they run out while they’re waiting?

‘‘I’m very concerned about the future of our supply of medication.”

At the beginning of the year, LloydPharmacy announced plans to close all of its 200-plus outlets in Sainsbury’s branches in response to what it described as “changing market conditions”.

A spokesperson for Boots said: “To accommodate a recent increase in patient prescriptions due to the closure of a nearby pharmacy, we have increased team member cover in the store and are recruiting a new pharmacy advisor, as well as introducing new IT to support. 

‘‘Patients who collect repeat NHS prescriptions from us can also sign up to our Boots Online Prescriptions Service, which offers free home delivery for patients registered with participating GP surgeries in England.”

Boots also noted that its team works to triage urgent prescriptions, and asks for patients with routine repeat prescriptions to plan in advance to allow time for their medicines to be dispensed.