People using Lloyds Pharmacy in Okehampton have spoken of their frustration after the pharmacy was shut for two days last week.

The chemist on Fore Street was closed on Monday and Wednesday with a sign on the door stating that this was due to no pharmacist being available.

On Thursday morning there was a queue outside the door as people who had failed to get their prescriptions earlier in the week had another go.

Vincent Hodges, who lives on Station Road, was queuing for medicaton for himself and for his wife, who is disabled, and needs weekly presciptions of the strong painkiller morphine.

He said: ‘My wife has been trying to get medicines for the last three or four days and it has been shut.

‘She is disabled and she comes down here in a wheelchair and she couldn’t get the medications we need.

‘We usually put the prescriptions in on a Monday and sometimes on Friday and Saturday they still can’t get them, which is a bit awkward when you are taking morphine.’

‘This has been going on for a few months and it is about time it was sorted out,’ he added.

‘They always say on the notice here [on the door] that they haven’t got the pharmacists and there is nothing we can do.’

Sheila Hudson, queueing for a repeat prescription, said: ‘Their other excuse is their computer system is down.

‘It was closed this week and I came down this morning because there is a bit of urgency because I am supposed to be going away and I’ve run out of pills.

‘After queuing for quite a while, they said come back in an hour and now I am in another queue.’

Sheila added: ‘It is terrible. I have thought of going to Boots but I don’t know if they would be any better.’

Also in the queue last Thursday was Jane Humphry.

She said: ‘I am thinking of changing to Boots because Lloyds are constantly closing because they haven’t got the staff. Yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, they were closed. It has been going on for months.

‘I came down this morning and took a chance on whether they would have a pharmacist or not.

‘Sometimes they haven’t got one, they are just closed with a sign on the door. Because I have repeat presciptions it makes it difficult. I try to give a week’s notice.’

A spokesperson for Lloyds Pharmacy said: ‘Due to staff shortages, our LloydsPharmacy in Okehampton has been operating reduced hours. We are actively recruiting for a full-time pharmacist but recruiting new pharmacists and pharmacy teams has become increasingly difficult; there is a shortage of pharmacists, and the profession is listed on the Home Office’s Shortage Occupation List.’

‘Legally a pharmacist must be present in the store for it to open and to give patients their prescriptions, therefore at times when a locum pharmacist can’t be sourced in times of sickness and absence our last resort is to temporarily close. Our priority is always to ensure that the community we serve can access the care they need, so in the event of a closure, we signpost customers to alternative pharmacies in the area.

‘To return our pharmacy to normality, we have successfully hired a new manager who will be starting soon. We are working together with other community pharmacy operators and the NHS to address these sector-wide workforce challenges.

‘As always, patient safety is paramount for us and we apologise to our customers and patients for any inconvenience caused.’

Meanwhile, Okehampton Medical Centre practice manager Kiran Bakhshi responded: ‘We would ask for patience from patients who may be using our or Boots’ services as a result of these closures, and of kindness and consideration to staff of Lloyds, Boots and the medical centre, as we are all doing our best the best that we can in times of pressures on the system and on resources for us all in primary care, and those on the front line tend to be the ones to have to deal with patients’ frustrations.

‘We appreciate the situation is not ideal and we hope that Lloyds are doing all they can to prevent the need to close in future.’

There have also been problems with staff shortages at Lloyds Pharmacy in Callington, over the border in Cornwall, as reported in the Times.