Concerns over prescription service

SDLP Banbridge Council candidate Marie Hamilton has expressed concern at the discontinuation of the repeat prescriptions service in local chemists.

Marie Hamilton is worried that this will make life even more difficult for many elderly and disabled people in the community.

She said, “It has been brought to my attention that chemists in Banbridge are no longer taking in repeat prescriptions and then passing them onto the group surgery.

“This is making it very inconvenient for elderly and disabled people to access medication as the journey between the chemist and the surgery is quite considerable for people with mobility problems.

“In the past, people could take advantage of the busy bus into the town centre where they were able to do their shopping and sort out prescriptions in their local chemist.

“Now that this has service has been removed, with very little warning, many vulnerable people are finding it difficult on both a financial and a practical level to fork out for a taxi and travel to the surgery to order prescriptions.

“While prescriptions can be ordered over the telephone and online, the fact is many older and disabled people find it hard to operate the surgeries automated system and the majority of pensioners in our area are unable to work the internet.

“I believe that serious consideration should be given to reinstating the traditional prescriptions system, so that the most vulnerable people in our community do not find themselves without the medication they need.” 

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