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New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - olivier picard (27th Jun 2006 - 14:59:13) I am the independent pharmacist who recently made an application for a new pharmacy to be located in the Station Road Area of Liphook. Unfortunately the local health authority decided to refuse my application, so I am now appealing their decision. I plan to offer (in addition to all the things you would normally expect from a pharmacy): - Sunday opening 10am til 2pm (as well as Sat 9 til 5, Mon-Fri 8.30am to 6.30pm) - free collection and delivery service - a minor ailments scheme (which will allow me to prescribe prescription only drugs without seeing a doctor and without an appointment (and free to those entitled)) - a personal service with flexiblity and choice that you don't get with a major multiple like Lloyds. If you are not happy with the services you currently receive from Lloyds and/or think a second pharmacy would be desirable I'd like to hear from you!

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Dick (27th Jun 2006 - 19:18:49) Bring it on... I think any competition is healthy. (unlike most of those that might visit you..........) I wish you luck with your appeal.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Eneida (27th Jun 2006 - 21:05:47) Are you allowed to tell us exactly why the local health authority refused your application? On the face of it, without any further information, it seems a bizarre decision!! Eneida

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Mike Grimes (28th Jun 2006 - 01:10:56) I think it is a right pain that we have to go anywhere but where the drugs are prescribed to go and get the bally things. If you need a drug the doctor should give it to you (a bit like they do in hospitals - if you are an inpatient). There are only two places pharmacists need be, Doctor's surgeries and hospitals. Anywhere else they're selling shampoo and perfume and bleating to the NHS that they can't make a living unless they are protected from competition. It really annoys me when I see the sign at the doctor's saying that if I lived further away from the surgery I could have my drugs dispensed there and then. Healthcare should be a one stop shop. I see no reason why this should not include independant pharmacies, but in partnership with GPs not miles away in a protectionist environment where selling sun cream and lipstick might be a more important factor in deciding the location of the business.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Allan (28th Jun 2006 - 16:12:57) Crickey, Mike, there's a from the heart rant! Have Lloyds discontinued your shade of lipstick, or something! On a serious note, I sympathise with M. Picard and the frustration he must feel at the rejection of his application. It is hard setting up in business (and sometimes even harder staying in it!) and the machinations of the authorities at seemingly dead slow and stop make it even harder. That said, I understand that negotiations are in progress between the landlords of the property in Station Rd. and a gentleman who wishes to open up a butcher's shop there. That would be extremely welcome in so much as that we no longer have one. We do have a pharmacy and excellent service Debbie and her staff provide to boot. I'm looking forward to the sausages already!

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Eneida (28th Jun 2006 - 17:13:27) Why does it have to be a choice between a butchers and a pharmacy? Can't we have both? There must be enough empty shops in Liphook. I don't have a problem with Lloyds at all....I think they're very good and would continue to use them because they are near my Doctors, but if Mr. Picard wants to open another pharmacy in Newton it would probably be more convenient for people who live around there. I think Mike must be suffering from the heat....what's the problem with chemists selling shampoo etc. they've been doing that ever since I can remember. Eneida

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Dick (28th Jun 2006 - 21:15:27) I think that when Mike Gripes, Sorry Grimes, wrote his peice he may have been a little on the tired side as, according to the date and time of the posting, it was 01:10 in the morning. My feelings are that should drugs be distributed through the surgeries only, we would not be able to get them as the bloody surgeries close early, normally just before I get ill. There is also the problem of the size that the surgeries would have to be to stock all the drugs. Lets have another Chemist for gods sake, shampoo and all, then we might see some competition on prices.......

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Mike Grimes (28th Jun 2006 - 23:50:33) I have no problem with chemists selling shampoo (or the suncream I patently need) I just wish I could get my healthcare in one place i.e the Doctor's surgery (or better still a local primary care centre open 24hrs and also providing many A&E functions). As it happens, the current situation in Liphook is not really much of a problem as the parking around Lloyds is OK and if Mr Picard were successful this would be even more convenient for my Doctor's surgery. It just seems completely wrong that only doctor's and some other healthcare practitioners can prescribe most medicines but they can't sell/give them to you. Beside or within every surgery or hospital should be a chemist shop. The rules need looking at.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Mike Grimes (29th Jun 2006 - 00:03:22) I would welcome a good butcher to Station Road and support it to the hilt. Let's have a good veg shop too, and a decent deli. I could then get my toilet rolls from Somerfield, superb wine from General Wine great bread from Mark's bakery and I'd have no more need for Nectar Points. OK, we could have a Chemist as well.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Dick (1st Jul 2006 - 00:11:21) Good man Mike, Now I agree with you..........

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - olivier picard (21st Jul 2006 - 15:18:09) Thank you for your comments! The reason the Local Health Authority turned down the proposal is because they think that Lloyds are providing an wholly adequate service and its OK for patients of the Newtown surgery (including the elderly, sick, disabled and mothers with children) to walk to Lloyds. I have appealed the decision on the basis that there is no competition and choice in Liphook - so Lloyds have a monopoly on prices and choice. By opening a second pharmacy in competition we will both have to offer the best quality service we can to win customers. Obviously the best place for a pharmacy is within a surgery (and if the occasion arose to locate my pharmacy in either surgeries I will be the first to jump at the opportunity!) but until then I will have to content myself with being as close to the surgery as possible (if I win the appeal!). So if any of you have any particular requests about what you would like to see or what you would like me to offer that isn't currently available from Lloyds please let me know! Kind regards Olivier Picard p.s - There is a good fundamental reason for doctors not dispensing by the way - it maintains impartiality for you, the patient, so that your doctor gives you the best and most suitable treatment for you, and not the treatment which earns him the biggest profit margin!

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - rob (21st Jul 2006 - 22:44:01) Doesn't Newtown Surgery in Station Road already have a dispensary - rightly in healthy competition with Lloyds? rob

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - marian (24th Jul 2006 - 18:24:14) Hi Rob Yes the Newton Surgery does have a dispensary but I was given to understand by a doctor there that it's for people for whom getting to a chemist to pick up their prescription would be difficult. I don't think therefore that it is particularly in competition with Lloyds.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - elle (24th Jul 2006 - 18:53:56) Newtown dispense for patients who live a certain distance from the surgery. Our village doesn't need another pharmacy as our current one provides an excellent service that already include many of the things offered by Mr Picard.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - elle (24th Jul 2006 - 18:58:15) Plus Lloyds are in competition already with Sainsbury's with regards to the selling of toiletries etc. Liphook needs another pharmacy just as much as we need more estate agents and hairdressers.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Eneida (24th Jul 2006 - 19:19:17) A short-sighted view elle!!! Competition is always to be encouraged, especially in a village/small town that is rapidly growing. Eneida

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - elle (24th Jul 2006 - 19:30:56) I just think another pharmacy would be a boring choice thats all.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Janet (26th Jul 2006 - 22:38:48) Didn't there used to be a chemist's shop in Station Road? And a greengrocer's? And wasn't there a butcher's shop in Midhurst Road? All have closed down because of the competition form Sainsbury's, I suspect.

Re: New Pharmacy for Liphook refused - Allan (27th Jul 2006 - 18:12:52) Hi Janet, There was a LLoyds drugstore type of shop (non dispensing) where Peep Inside are now(might have been Superdrug, can't quite remember) but they didn't last very long. There was a butcher where Liphook's Bakery is, but he wound up in 1993 He served good quality meat, well butchered but didn't go out of his way to be nice to his customers!. The baker's shop then was in the right hand half of Mathesons, the opticians, not under the same ownership as now. The butchers in Midhurst Rd, was where Bibi Ana's restaurant is now and they left to take the butchers business at Country Market (no longer there either). Shame they went; good meat V.F.M. prices, friendy manager. The veg shop that was in half of what is now the closed Balfour News/Coop. Ron gave that up, not as a result of Sainsbury's opening but, surprise, surprise, the slow down in numbers of pop in shoppers when Barclay's Bank closed and the cash dispense machine was taken away. All in all, it's a crying shame that they have all gone, for whatever reason, but....the good news is, that given no contractual glitches with the lease, a butchers will open around end of Sept. this year. Assuming that it does, it's not difficult to work out what us locals have to do to make sure that he stays!!! Cheers Allan.

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