Concern has been raised in Pembrokeshire over the temporary closure of pharmacies across the county, and the lack of clarity given to customers.
One angry resident said he turned up at his pharmacy in Haverfordwest only to find it was closed, and that it would not be open for several days.
He also expressed his concern that the lack of pharmacists in the county was leaving elderly and vulnerable people unable to access their medication.
“My prescription was in there all weekend, and I couldn’t get to it," he told the Western Telegraph.
“I didn’t get a call or an email or any form of contact saying ‘we’re going to be closed over a few days this week and your prescription is in. Would you like to collect it between this time and this time.’
“People only go to the pharmacy at the time they need to pick up their prescriptions, but we’re expected to regularly walk past just to see if they’re going to be closed.
“I was lucky in a way, as I had enough medicine to see me through the weekend, but so many people would have turned up in need of medication and been unable to get it.
“It really isn’t fair on these people, and it wouldn’t have surprised them.
"This has happened many times over the last few months. Pembrokeshire is being neglected and needs more pharmacists to help.
“Pembrokeshire has an ageing population, with many of its people needing medical care. Why are they being neglected just because of where they live?”
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A spokesperson from an independent pharmacy in Pembrokeshire said the problem is a nationwide one, with the reason being a mixture of recruitment, Brexit and Covid-19.
He added: “Young pharmacists who are studying and gaining experience still want a social life, and so they wish to stay around cities.
“Urban areas also offer younger pharmacists, as well as older ones, a much greater number of pharmacies to be able to work at.
“Several pharmacists in Pembrokeshire are people who have come here as their family lives here.
“Quite a few of the pharmacies in Pembrokeshire are not independent, too. They are part of a chain, including supermarket pharmacies.
“Supermarkets have long hours, so they need at least two pharmacists to oversee the counter, hours that one pharmacist simply cannot do alone."
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