Southsea pharmacy is set to close its doors

The Rowlands in Winter Road, Southsea, will merge with the nearby branch on Eastney Road.

The two chemists are within 400m of each other and open similar hours during the week and at weekends.

Plans for the pharmacy consolidation were submitted to the Portsmouth health and wellbeing board which discussed the impact of the closure on the surrounding area at its meeting.

The board, made up of councillors and other health professionals such as GPs, agreed to support the application after deciding the impact would be minimal.

The consolidation plans will be submitted to NHS England for approval.

In a report produced by the city’s director of public health Dr Jason Horsley it was concluded merging the two branches would not create a gap in pharmaceutical services.

He said: ‘This proposed consolidation is considered to have a negligible effect on travel times to a pharmacy for residents.

‘These pharmacies are situated in an area well-served by pharmaceutical services.

‘The application states that at the closing site there are low levels of walk-in prescriptions and a low volume of over the counter sales, the need for which could be met by the surrounding pharmacies.’

The Eastney Road branch will be open the same hours and will remain open until 6pm, the same as it is at the moment.

Its Saturday opening hours will remain unchanged as 
will its closures for lunchtime during the week, between 1pm and 2pm.

The reported added both sites had access for wheelchair users and access without steps and all services at the closing site will still be offered.

The report said: ‘The closing site offers a wider range of pharmaceutical services. However, the two services not currently provided at the continuing site will be taken on.

‘The two services currently provided at the closing site which will be taken on by the continuing site are needle exchange and nicotine replacement therapy voucher scheme.’