COMMUNITY pharmacies have come under increasing pressure as the coronavirus pandemic grows, a chief pharmaceutical officer has said.

Fiona Castle, of Swindon and Wiltshire Local Pharmaceutical Committee, urged people not to stockpile medicines and avoid pharmacies if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

She said: “As the UK responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, community pharmacies in Swindon and Wiltshire are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone’s medicines and healthcare needs will be met over the coming days and weeks.

“Pharmacy teams are a critical part of the NHS and in the past weeks, they have seen demand for Over- The Counter (OTC) medicines, other products, advice and reassurance soar.

“Pharmacy teams are under intense pressure at the moment, working on the front line of the health service often without any protection for their own health.”

To help pharmacies cope under the increasing pressure, today the Local Pharmaceutical Committee (LPC) is asking patients and members of the public to:

    - Avoid pharmacies if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19.

    - If you have a dry persistent cough, fever or shortness of breath, please avoid entering your local pharmacies.

    - Be patient: All pharmacies are under immense pressure and working around the clock to ensure that you get what you need.

    - Order medicines as normal: People should not stockpile medicines. Ordering extra prescriptions and buying more over the counter medicines than you need will contribute to disruption to the medicines supply chain.

    - Pharmacies will remain open wherever possible, but some are now having to reduce the hours during which they can admit members of the public. This is to ensure that pharmacy teams can carry out tasks such as preparing medicines and restocking shelves so that these vital services can continue safely.

Most pharmacies can be contacted by phone and email and many have their own websites and social media channels.