Repeat prescription service paused at Lloyds pharmacies in Ramsey

One of the Lloyds Pharmacy branches had to close due to staff sickness

A repeat prescriptions service will no longer be available from Lloyds pharmacies in Ramsey after staff shortages.

Staff illness also led to one of three local branches being closed in recent weeks.

Patients will now have to contact their GP themselves to make sure they have enough medicine.

A spokeswoman for Manx Care said people should "allow plenty of time" so they do not run out.

Previously repeat prescriptions were pre-ordered by the pharmacy from a surgery on behalf of the patient.

'Challenging circumstances'

The St Pauls Square branch was forced to close because of staff shortages due to illness, but has since reopened.

Lloyds Pharmacy management decided it was safer to operate two pharmacies with full staff than to run three on a skeleton staff.

Manx Care said it had been supporting staff at the Parliament Street site through "challenging circumstances".

A spokeswoman also recognised how the situation had affected the local GP surgery, Ramsey Group Practice, and the "increase this has caused to the workload of practice staff".

People are being encouraged to use the Patient Access app to make arrangements with their GP or fill out the repeat request form on the prescription.

It is not known when the in-pharmacy service will resume.

Manx Care confirmed they will continue to work closely with Lloyds Pharmacy and Ramsey Group Practice over the coming weeks to make sure residents living in the north of the island can get the medicine they need.