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news.UK health chain Boots The Chemists is to roll out a series of 60 midnight pharmacies across the UK as it seeks to cement its place as the accessible healthcare provider.
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The drugstore has already switched to the longer opening hours at eight of its stores; the two most recent changes being made in Oxford and Milton Keynes at the beginning of April this year. The plan is to have up to 60 midnight stores operating by the end of 2006.
The chain is aimed at responding to the changing healthcare needs of customers and supports the growing emphasis on increasing the role of the pharmacists in everyday healthcare provision.
“Our ultimate vision is that there will be a Boots midnight pharmacy within a 30 minute drive for the majority of the UK population. We are no longer a nine to five culture and pharmacy needs to adapt accordingly,” said Alex Gourlay, Boots director of healthcare.
The majority of the midnight pharmacies will be located in edge of town retail parks to aid customers with access and parking. There will also be a fair representation in train stations and airports to represent easy to get to and well known central locations.
Boot reports that the stores which have already opened as midnight pharmacies have already seen an encouraging response to their services. Each store operates according to local conditions in terms of the non-pharmacy offer available outside of normal trading hours. In some cases this will mean that the pharmacist can only dispense prescriptions or other healthcare items while for some it will see a fuller non-healthcare offer on sale.