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A chemist's shop for Benbecula?

Title: A chemist's shop for Benbecula?
Posted by: southuist.com admin on 29-06-2013

Discussion: There has been a local consultation run by a small company who intend to submit an application to the health board to open a pharmacy in Balivanich. This has had some local support, partly as there is an impression that this would be a chemist shop retailing shampoos, beauty products etcetera.

The public were unaware that this would prevent the local surgery from dispensing. The initial consultation implied that the shop was mainly a retail chemists. However, the truth is somewhat different. The following article lists some points. I would urge anyone from the Hebrides to read this.

http://www.southuist.com/news.php?action=view&id=78

Replies to this post

Posted by: Jonathan Bridge on 06-07-2013

A new pharmacy opening? Surely a good thing? Well in my experience a gift horse should ALWAYS be looked in the mouth. A few residents of Balivanich, wanting only repeat prescriptions or non-prescription goods (which generally are at the supermarkets anyway) will be saved a traipse to Griminish.

For others, they have to go to the doctor's surgery first anyway to get a prescription, and would then have to go to Balivanich to get the medication - and then go home again. For those 'others' who live further afield, eg in Eriskay, w\'d first have to go to the doctor in Daliburgh, and then on to Balivanich to get the medicine: really? Bad enough if you have a car or access to one, but for those reliant on public transport this would take all day - in fact I'm not even sure it could be done in one day! Any commercial pharmacy in Balivanich should succeed or fail on its own merits, and not be given a monopoly by closing the medical centre pharmacies. I think we'd soon find out that the proposed pharmacy has no real business case to stand on.


Posted by: Anne Marie (MacKinnon) on 03-07-2013

Although I don't live on Uist/Benbecula, I did need to consult the local surgery/medical practice in Daliburgh whilst on holiday, regarding my father at 90 yrs of age just prior to his death by 1 month in 2006 with satisfactory prognosis etc.

I'm not quite sure from the wording of the above, whether South Uist would be exempt from dispensing pharmaceutical drugs if the planned Chemist was to open in Balivanich as there wasn't much mention on what I read?

Balivanich is a fair distance & costly from Daliburgh on a fine sunny day (pun not intentional) but I cannot imagine how this would work in winter if Daliburgh was to be under the same umbrella? (Again, pun not intended).
My question is: What are MP's MSP's actually employed for? This to me seems a typical example of non communication with "the people" who will be affected by this and a gross bending of the truth to possibly cut costs?

Is it a case that the Government has worked out the hourly rate of a Dr. against the same per Pharmacist, the latter being less expensive?

From a glance, the way this has been put forward/worded was to "highlight" the possibility of creating more jobs but sweeping under the carpet the loss of a service which could endanger lives in a remote area already lacking in NHS special treatments/operations/facilities etc. etc.

I'm sure they could ask the local Practitioner if he/she could keep a 'supply' of shampoo & mascara in their practice/surgery? :-)
However, even if this is only related to the Benbecula area, is it a case that people need toiletries & cosmetics to make them look better more than they need MEDICINES to make them FEEL better? :-)

The emphasis on shampoo etc. did seem to detract/sway from the "real" purpose of the proposition.

Anne Marie

Posted by: Jackie Warner on 02-07-2013

A meeting was held whereby it transpired that the pharmacy would be located in a cordoned off part of the post office in balivanich. As you say...far from being a chemists shop like Boots or Superdrug.

In addition, very little is known about the applicants, their business acumen, indeed only one applicant in the proposed set up was present at the meeting and he did not know the whereabouts of his partner nor his credentials. Worrying times ahead.

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