UK retailers to re-open but fitting rooms remain closed
As lockdown rules ease, many retailers are making changes to protect their staff and other customers from contracting COVID-19 whilst on their premises. Two large retailers, John Lewis and Marks and Spencer have announced plans to open their stores but their fitting rooms will remain closed. As NHS funded premises, pharmacies need to take extra care to ensure that their frontline healthcare staff and the patients they serve are protected from contracting COVID-19 from the unnecessary use of pharmacy consulting rooms.
A 2m social distancing rule cannot be observed in the majority of pharmacy consulting rooms and strict measures (documented in operational SOPs) need to be in place when their use is absolutely essential (for example, supervising methadone consumption). There can be little justification for using small cramped consulting rooms for face to face MUR or NMS consultations, especially when these could be delivered by other means. However, Boots is still advertising its “Medicines Check Up Service” where it advertises “Speak to our pharmacist in a private consultation room”.
Details about the John Lewis policy can be found here.
Details about the Marks and Spencer policy can be found here.
Details about the Boots “medicines check” service can be found here. |