Community pharmacies across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent will be open for business over the Easter Bank Holiday as part of the fight against Coronavirus.
Each pharmacy that is able to will be open from at least 2-5pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Some will open for longer hours and there will also be an enhanced Bank Holiday rota (attached).
Pharmacist Amin Mitha, Head of Medicines Optimisation for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent CCGs said: “Pharmacies will be open to support patients with their urgent needs, however we would urge people not to visit pharmacies for anything that is non-urgent.
“There is no shortage of medicines and supplies are getting through to us normally, but we have been experiencing very much higher levels of demand than normal and I would therefore ask people to only use their pharmacy if it is essential.”
Please:
- Check what medicines you have now
- Only order more if you have less than one week’s supply
- Don’t order an increased quantity of medicines
- Don’t order early
- Don’t order “just in case”
- Don't telephone your pharmacy unless it's essential
- Inform your pharmacy and/or surgery if you have stopped taking any medicines
Both Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have hotlines available for residents who need prescriptions delivering because they are self-isolating.
If you live in Staffordshire you can call the NHS Volunteer Responders helpline on 0800 028 8327 or Staffordshire County Council emergency helpline on 0300 111 8050.
If you live in Stoke-on-Trent you can call 0800 561 5610.
Amin added: “Please follow official NHS Coronavirus/COVID-19 guidance on hand hygiene, self-isolating, social distancing and caring for the vulnerable. Please don’t take clinical advice from social media.”