The Pharmacy Contractors Association is asking residents to keep away from chemists if they are displaying symptoms of Covid-19.

As the UK responds to the Covid-19 pandemic, community pharmacies on the island are working tirelessly to ensure that everyone’s medicines and healthcare needs can continue to be met over the coming days and weeks.

In the past weeks, pharmacies have seen demand for prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines, other products, health advice and reassurance increase dramatically.

Pharmacists and their teams are therefore under intense pressure, working long hours on the front line of the health service, some with reduced staffing levels and also often without regard for their own safety.

Independent community pharmacist and spokesperson for the Isle of Man Pharmacy Contractors Association Ian Hemensley said: ’Community pharmacy teams are a really important part of the NHS and like all NHS workers we are under immense pressure at the moment.

’We are today asking people to take some very simple steps to help protect our pharmacy teams so that we can continue to carry out their critical roles and ensure that everyone continues to be able to obtain the medicines, help and support they need, when they need it.

’Pharmacies will remain open wherever possible, but you may see that some are now having to reduce the hours during which they can admit members of the public.

’This is due to the reduced number of available staff and also to ensure that pharmacy teams can carry out core tasks such as preparing medicines for regular patients and Care Homes, restocking shelves and ordering stock and to ensure other vital core services can continue to be provided as safely as possible.’

To help pharmacies cope under these circumstances and to try and keep our dedicated staff as safe as possible, so we can continue to provide our vital service, pharmacies are asking patients and members of the public to:

â?¢ 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 pharmacy as you would any other healthcare setting.

â?¢ Be patient and polite: All pharmacies are under immense pressure and working around the clock to try and ensure that patients can still obtain what they need.

â?¢ Order medicines as normal. There is no need to stockpile medicines. Ordering extra prescriptions and buying more over the counter medicines than you need will contribute to disruption to the medicines supply chain.

â?¢ Only visit pharmacies if you really need to. Where possible contact the pharmacy by phone with health queries, to order repeat prescriptions, or check if certain items are in stock. A delivery service is being offered to those vulnerable patients who have nobody who can collect for them.