A PHARMACIST has thanked his customers for their overwhelming support after a rival service was launched offering repeat prescriptions.

Patients of Firdale Medial Centre, in Firdale Road, contacted the Guardian after they were sent a letter from their doctors about the new Firdale Prescription Service.

They were concerned about the implications for Northwich surgeries, including Hogg's Chemist, which is next door to the medical centre, in Winnington.

One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: "I'm all for promoting businesses round here - we want to save Northwich, not lose it."

Carl Hogg, from Hogg's Chemist, said: "So many patients have come in and given us support, it's been overwhelming to be honest.

"It's been humbling to see that we've still got community spirit here, they've been absolutely fantastic, so I've gone from sleepless nights thinking that people would sign to the mail order service to this."

He added: "Pharmacies can't really survive on anti-biotic scripts, coughs and colds, we all rely on repeat prescription business.

"I wouldn't go down the road that it's going to put us out of business but it's a threat, a very severe threat, to local services."

Firdale Medical Centre is a co-owner of Firdale Prescription Service, which is provided in partnership with mail delivery pharmacy Pharmacy2U.

Brenda Mills, patient services manager at Firdale Medical Centre, said: "This service has been created in partnership with Pharmacy2U and will provide patients with additional choice and a range of new services.

"Where chosen by a patient, through informed consent, this service provides through a range of phone and digital channels, repeat medication request reminders, management of repeat prescription requests, communication of medication review dates or messages and the delivery of medication to any convenient address.

"Firdale Medical Centre have co-created a new commercial entity, P2UFirdale LLP, in order to offer this new service.

"The structure and the way that this is being made available as a patient choice is fully compliant with all General Medical Council and NHS regulations.

"This includes the practice being completely open and transparent about our commercial involvement with patients."

She added that commercial arrangements between general practices and pharmacies are widespread across the NHS and emphasised that patient data, including medical records, remain confidential.

"Neither Pharmacy2U nor P2UFirdale LLP have any access to our patients' medical records or have received any data from the surgery," she said.