Supermarkets

Pharmacists working at Asda have warned that its new structure poses “very serious” risks to patient safety, as well as creating overly stressful working conditions for staff.

Asda’s full-time salaried pharmacists will work one hour less a week for the same salary, the multiple has told C+D.

Asda pharmacists will be asked to “work compressed contracted hours” and “fewer days” in new “voluntary” contracts, C+D has learned.

A campaign to open a new community pharmacy in Glastonbury has stalled after an appeal against the decision to approve the project, just weeks before the town’s iconic music festival.

The “difficult decision” to close an Asda pharmacy branch comes after “long-term underfunding” and difficulty securing pharmacists, the supermarket has said.  

Former Sainsbury’s workers claiming enhanced redundancy from the Lloydspharmacy estate will have their case heard in March 2025, despite a possible victory offering “no realistic hope” of full compensation.

Asda has partnered with Pharmacy2U to allow patients to manage and arrange their prescription deliveries online. 

See how pharmacy workers at the largest multiples fared in terms of pay rises, bonuses, work-life balance, stress levels and workload during 2023, according to data from the C+D Salary Survey

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) has warned that there is “no realistic prospect” of a decent payout for former Lloydspharmacy employees who worked in Sainsbury's stores, even if they were to win their ongoing redundancy dispute in court. 

After reports that it had denied encouraging link selling, the supermarket pharmacy has told C+D that link selling will be part of a Pharmacy First consultation “when appropriate”.