Concerns raised over number of rural pharmacies

Councillors raised concerns about the lack of pharmacies in rural areas

Outdated criteria is being used to judge whether Dorset has an adequate number of pharmacies, councillors have said.

A meeting of Dorset Council's Health and Wellbeing Board heard official measurements were based on patients travelling by car.

Councillors raised concerns about those who relied on limited rural public transport with no access to pharmacies in the evenings or at weekends.

The council said it may investigate how the situation can be improved following concerns about closures and reduced hours.

The meeting heard official measurements about whether an area has an adequate number of pharmacies are based largely around being able to reach one within 20 minutes by car.

Committee chairman Steve Robinson said despite official measurements suggesting an "adequate" pharmacy service, there was an increasing feeling that there were not enough pharmacies across rural Dorset and the BCP Council areas.

"The issue is often that people who need the services the most don't have a car," he said.

The meeting heard there was a chronic issue in recruiting pharmacists in rural areas, something which may now be investigated by the county's integrated care board and Dorset Council's health and wellbeing board.

The Healthwatch Dorset team promoted a survey last year which found that 38% of more than 900 respondents experienced problems getting their medication.

Council health and housing portfolio holder Gill Taylor said: "This is exactly the sort of issue we should be picking up on… it's a topic which causes a lot of residents to come to us.

The government has previously blamed "a decade of underfunding and neglect" for issues affecting community pharmacies.