From Mr S. J. Barton, MRPharmS
SIR,-It strikes me that Boots is getting a good deal with the National Health Service walk-in centre in Birmingham and other towns (PJ, March 4, p353). Not only is it being paid rent by the National Health Service for use of the premises, but every patient who needs medicine or a pharmacist will go straight to the Boots medicines counter.
Does anyone really think that someone coming out of the centre will bother to hobble around town trying to find another pharmacy?
No. Neither do I.
If this partnership is the trend, it will not be long before such establishments are looked upon by the public as "Boots walk-in centres", another blow for the independent pharmacy, which ought to be in a position to object to a walk-in centre being placed in or near to any one particular pharmacy.
It also seems to me, upon closer examination of the article, that this is not really a walk-in centre but really a ride-in-the-lift centre, or, if you happen to want its services at night, a ring-the-bell-and-wait-for-the-security-guard-to-escort-you centre. How very convenient for the public.
On a final note, it is my opinion and that of many other pharmacists, that walk-in centres are a waste of public money which could be better spent adjusting hospital accident and emergency units, pharmacies, certain general practitioner surgeries or other areas within the National Health Service. Perhaps we ought to amend our fascias to point out that we are all walk-in pharmacies.
S. J. Barton
Frome, Somerset