Pharmacies change opening hours over festive season

Medication

Lots of pharmacies will be changing their opening hours over the festive season, which means it’s very important to make sure we all have everything we need to stay well over Christmas.

Speaking on behalf of the local NHS, Dr Michele Legg, Clinical Chair at Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Pharmacy opening hours often change over Christmas and New Year due to public holidays.

“This makes it particularly important to know your local pharmacy opening hours. If you, or someone you live with runs out of medication, becomes unwell or has a minor injury, knowing which pharmacies are open means you can get the right medical assistance as soon as possible, without wasting precious time travelling around.”

Visit the Isle of Wight CCG website to see your Christmas holiday pharmacy opening hours, this will also include those that will be open for a short time on Christmas Day.

If you rely on repeat prescriptions it’s best to arrange any that are due as early as possible to ensure that you have enough medication to last over the Christmas break.

The deadline for orders is this Friday (14 December) if you would like to receive your medication before Christmas.

Another way to prepare is to make sure that you have a well-stocked self-care kit at home. A good self-care kit can help to treat many minor ailments and could save you from having to seek medical treatment over the holidays.

You can find more information on what to keep in a self-care kit here. You can also seek advice and support by calling NHS111. Please only attend Accident & Emergency or call 999 in a genuine emergency.