Record sales for Boots are noted in the papers this week – but alas, our Boots in Rye cannot be contributing to this national success.
Rye Boots has lost its permanent pharmacist and this means it cannot open without a pharmacist in the store.
Pharmacists come and go but for now, there is little to no continuity at Boots and we never know when the store will be open. That said, it is no reflection on the professionalism of the current staff as they cannot work if Boots is closed – it is a sad reflection on the current state of ad-hoc available pharmacists.
For the uninitiated, if you are unable to get your prescription filled at Boots, you can request to have it returned to ‘the Spine’ - the source (backbone?) of all prescriptions which can then be picked up by any chemist or pharmacy.
The crux of the matter remains that if Boots is closed, the staff cannot answer the phone. If the prescription is not returned to the Spine, it cannot be dispensed. It’s a bit of a Catch-22 situation.
The chemist next door to Boots, Day Lewis, remains with a permanent pharmacist and can dispense during weekends, and until 13.00 on Saturdays.
Boots must not close – but if the current state of affairs continues with a lack of a pharmacist, not enough staff and poor opening hours, its revenue will drop. And that can only mean financial failure.
We need it to remain open!
