A Derbyshire-based chemist chain has apologised for delays with patients receiving prescriptions at one of its branches and it says it is working to improve the situation after it has been struggling during a difficult time for pharmacies.
Staveley Town Councillor Paul Mann informed Peak Pharmacy that customers at its branch on Attlee Rd, at Inkersall, near Staveley, had been complaining about having to wait much longer than usual for their prescriptions and he believes ‘robots’ and automated technology at the chain’s new headquarters at Buttermilk Lane, Bolsover, has been responsible.
Cllr Mann said:”It is not the problem of the staff or the branch, it is in my mind the profit-making problem of the company who have introduced a new system which, in my mind, I feel is putting patients at risk by leaving them without medication – some [of] which is needed for live-threatening conditions.”
He added people have complained about the service Peak Pharmacy provides when it comes to dispensing prescriptions which he says was previously very good and that some doctors’ surgeries have also received related complaints.
Cllr Mann said: “One person said they had to go three times to wait and get medication and they say it is horrible and it has gone to pot. But it’s not the staff. They are working hard and leaving. The company is putting profit before patients and risking patients’ wellbeing.”
He fears staff have been placed under pressure by the new automated system which he claims is at the heart of the problem as GPs send prescription orders to the Buttermilk Lane headquarters’ warehouse before they are sorted and sent to the company’s branches for patients to collect.
Cllr Mann said that due to the delays in processing prescriptions, and getting medication out to patients, he fears mistakes might be made with people getting the wrong medication.
A Peak Pharmacy spokesperson said: “We acknowledge that our Inkersall pharmacy has not been providing our patients with the level of service that they need, deserve and are accustomed to. This is not the experience we would wish patients to have of any of our pharmacies. We apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience and any distress caused by delays in receiving medication from this pharmacy.
“The pharmacy’s area manager has been working closely with the pharmacy team to resolve the issues they have been having. A new manager has been appointed and she is making a tremendous difference.
“A review of the manner in which they use the new central assembly facility has been undertaken. The team have altered their systems to make best use of the assistance available to them. They are now able to manage their workload effectively and are able to fulfil patients’ prescriptions significantly more promptly.”
Peak Pharmacy’s Head of Retail Operations visited the Inkersall pharmacy this week and found it to be in a much better place, according to the company which added that every effort is being made to maintain stability and service levels.
The company also insisted it did not wish to appear to be making excuses, but it highlighted various factors that it claims have contributed to the operational difficulties many Community Pharmacies are experiencing including reduced funding, higher operating costs and medicine shortages.
A Peak Pharmacy spokesperson added: “Community Pharmacy in England has experienced a 30per cent funding decrease in real terms since 2015. Along with significantly higher operating costs, the resulting pressure has led to a considerable number of permanent closures, and remaining pharmacy owners having to make difficult decisions to protect the viability of their business, such as reducing their opening hours and switching to different operating models.
“Shortages of medicines, due to market instability and manufacturing delays, is a worsening problem which places more pressure on pharmacy teams as they try to procure the affected products and minimise the impact on patients.”
Cllr Mann also raised concerns that Peak Pharmacy staff appear to have been facing an increased workload and they have been leaving and are not being replaced.
But the company stated that there is a well-recognised national workforce crisis leading to difficulty in recruiting and retaining both Pharmacists and qualified support staff.
A Peak Pharmacy spokesperson said: “On a national level, patients have been unable to access or have had delays receiving their medicines due to unplanned closures and market shortages and have experienced long waiting times and a reduction in the level of service due to factors beyond the control of their pharmacy.
“As an organisation, we have made a significant investment in a central assembly facility in Bolsover, using technology and automation to increase capacity and reduce the workload within our pharmacies.
“Far from being to generate profit, this investment is intended to assist our teams and patients. When used to its full potential by our teams, this will ensure our colleagues are dedicated to serving patients and allow them to provide the additional clinical services the NHS is increasingly commissioning us to provide to alleviate pressure in other parts of the NHS.”
Peak Pharmacy’s Inkersall pharmacy team is now using the central assembly facility more, according to the company, and in a short space of time they have experienced the benefits this brings to patients and the team by ensuring medication can be provided promptly and safely.
A Peak Pharmacy spokesperson said: “We apologise unreservedly to our patients for the difficulties they have experienced and thank them for their continued understanding and patience while we work through the current challenges.”
The company has written to Cllr Mann to apologise for any delay in responding to his concerns and he has been invited to visit the company’s central assembly facility.
Peak Pharmacy has previously stated its new headquarters has been designed to process millions of prescriptions per year and to handle prescriptions and despatch medicines for the firm’s 150 community pharmacies across England.
The company added that its headquarters has also been designed with state-of-the-art robots and automated systems to support staff handling over 400,000 medicines and other prescribed items every month.
