Harvinder said Pharmacy First, external – the initiative that refers the public to community pharmacies for minor illnesses and repeat medicines before attending GP practices – had been a positive initiative.
He said the scheme brought in more funds and had helped take pressure away from GPs.
However, Harvinder is worried the initiative may be “too little too late”.
“We’ve expressed our concern, we’ve petitioned and seen no results,” he added.
“Our regulators have acknowledged that there is an issue but they have never given us a solution.”
Rebecca Dickenson, clinical pharmacy lead for the NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire integrated care board (ICB) – which oversees the city and county’s pharmacies – said: “Any abuse of pharmacy staff is unacceptable under any circumstances.
“Our community pharmacies will do everything they possibly can to support patients, but sometimes aren’t able to due to circumstances beyond their control.
“Medicine shortages are caused by national and sometimes global issues. Some medicines may not be available due to problems with manufacturing, transport, high demand, or issues sourcing the ingredients.”
She advised customers to only order medicines they need in good time, and try other pharmacies if they could not get it from their nominated chemist.
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