Pharmacy manager calls for calm after swearing, fights and threats
A pharmacy manager has called for customers to calm down after swearing, fighting and threats across Wales.
Dylan Jones, of Llanidloes Pharmacy in Llanidloes, insists it's time for patients to be patient after hearing of several incidents during the coronavirus lockdown.
He is grateful for the courteous behaviour of his own customers, but said: “During this crisis, staff in community pharmacies have all too often been confronted by angry and unreasonable behaviour, including swearing, fighting and threats to staff. This is clearly unacceptable.
“There are also people who repeatedly ignore social distancing. If people are prepared to queue up in an orderly fashion, two meters apart and you respect that rule in the local supermarket, then why are they so reluctant to respect similar rules when visiting their local pharmacy?
"The least community pharmacists can expect is decent behaviour and for instructions on queueing when social distancing to be respected. Patients must be patient.”
Russell Goodway, chief executive of Community Pharmacy Wales, which represents all community pharmacies in Wales, added: “People are too often still being unreasonable in their expectations and in their behaviours.
“While other NHS services have understandably closed or reduced hours, community pharmacies have stayed open during the Covid crisis, exposing their staff to considerable risk just to make sure people get their medications.
"They have succeeded in doing that even though they have to deal with an unprecedented level of demand for medicines.”
