in-cumbria

Pharmacy would be good for Workington estate, claims partner

Last updated at 19:45, Thursday, 26 July 2012

The company behind plans for a new pharmacy on a Workington estate met this week with concerned residents to discuss its plans.

Saeed Ltd will transform Mills in Moorclose into the chemists but its proposals have been criticised by some residents who fear it would lead to drug addicts hanging around.

Zubair Malik, one of the chain’s partners, attended a neighbourhood forum meeting on Tuesday to reassure people.

He said the pharmacy would offer a methadone service, and drug users would be supervised when taking their prescription on site.

He said any trouble would be reported to the NHS and user's medication would be stopped or they would be asked to attend another pharmacy to take their medication.

Mr Malik added: “I will treat those patients with the same level of respect as I treat all my patients. I want to help those people and to help them move forward with their lives and offering this service will help them do this.

“The service will only be offered to people living in the Moorclose area, not the whole of Workington.”

He said the new pharmacy would be a benefit to the community – particularly to the elderly, the disabled and those without cars – by providing Moorclose with its only chemist.

He said the paper shop’s existing eight workers would be offered a chance to stay on and receive NVQ training.

Services like selling papers and a Paypoint would remain, he added.

Mr Malik added: “We cannot reinstate some services which were lost such as selling alcohol, cigarettes or Lottery tickets because it would be unethical of a pharmacy to do this, but we have reinstated some.”

Shop workers found out in June that the shop, owned by Tesco’s One Stop, was to be sold.

The new owners said extensive market research was done about the need for a pharmacy on the estate, with 400 surveys sent to households and nearly all in support of the proposal. A 200-name petition was also completed in support.

First published at 19:25, Thursday, 26 July 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk