By Alison WithersFIVE hundred people have signed a petition opposing a plan to open a pharmacy in their village.About 300 people attended last night a public meeting in Holbrook to discuss the proposal for a pharmacy in the centre of the village.

By Alison Withers

FIVE hundred people have signed a petition opposing a plan to open a pharmacy in their village.

About 300 people attended last night a public meeting in Holbrook to discuss the proposal for a pharmacy in the centre of the village.

Patients of the Shotley Peninsula GPs' two surgeries can currently collect prescribed medicines from its dispensaries.

But if the application was granted, anyone living within a one-mile radius of the new pharmacy would no longer be able to get their prescriptions from the surgery.

Dr John Carey, one of the GPs at The Surgery in Holbrook, said losing its dispensing service would have an impact on its service.

He warned not being able to dispense prescribed medicines to about one-third its patients would lose the practice money that it had invested in two extra doctors and locum cover for holidays and sick leave - and it might have to consider operating from just one premises in Shotley.

Nurses who use the practice premises also submitted a letter saying getting special dressings for housebound patients would also be made more difficult without the dispensary and could lead to delays.

Parish council chairman, Marion Leeson, told the meeting 500 people had signed a petition in the village post office against the pharmacy proposal in just six days.

Adewele Agbejule, who has submitted the plan, said there ought to be an opportunity for people to sign a petition supporting his application and post office co-owner Margaret Gladwell promised that would be done.

Mr Agbejule, who has applied to be included on the pharmaceutical list of the Central Suffolk Patient Care Trust, added: “I have made this application in good faith because I believe there's a need for pharmaceutical services.

“What we are saying is that a doctor is qualified to make a diagnosis, but they cannot say they have the knowledge about the drugs they use that the pharmacists do. This is the reason why there is specialisation.”

Caroline Thornberry, head of contractual services at the Suffolk Practitioners Services Unit, said views on the proposal would be sought from all sides for a first hearing by the pharmacies and dispensing sub-committee, probably in November.

alison.withers@eadt.co.uk