A NEW pharmacy is almost ready to open in Minehead following the failure of the town’s Jhoots branch.

Both the Minehead and Williton branches of Jhoots were among 60 in the Westcountry to have been taken over in November by Allied Phartmacies.

But instead of trading from the Jhoots premises next to Minehead Medical Centre in Irnham Road, the company is fitting out the former Under the Rainbow shop in nearby Friday Street.

A Minehead spokesperson said the branch would shortly open its doors, trading from 9 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Friday and until 1 pm on Saturdays.

The spokesperson said: “Behind the scenes, the new management have been busy getting things in order and are almost there with just a few finishing touches.

“Once we have found our feet and got things up and running we will be providing extra services like free blood pressure checks and the Pharmacy First services.

“From the team here we would like to thank you for your patience and we will look forward to welcoming you to our new store very soon.”

The spokesperson said new shop signage was being fitted and stock had started to be delivered.

A corporate spokesperson said: “We are proud to be a trusted NHS partner, delivering high-quality healthcare across 180 pharmacies in England and Wales.

“We bring decades of experience, strong partnerships, and a deep commitment to patient care.

“Our dedicated teams work collaboratively to ensure accessible, reliable, and personalised healthcare for the communities we serve.”

Pharmacy First builds on the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service which has run since October, 2019.

The consultation service enables patients to be referred into community pharmacy for a minor illness or an urgent repeat medicine supply.

A new Pharmacy First service launched two years ago adds to the existing consultation service and enables community pharmacies to complete episodes of care for seven common conditions following defined clinical pathways.

Allied Pharmacies is currently recruiting a pharmacist to join its Minehead team to dispense medication, provide expert advice to patients, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The company is also looking for a pharmacy dispenser or trainee to join its branch in Williton next to the GP surgery in Robert Street.

Allied Pharmacies is a chain of partnerships with local pharmacists formed 20 years ago which now has more than 150 premises nationwide.

Jhoots is also a national chain but West Somerset patients had seen erratic branch opening hours and shortages of staff and qualified pharmacists.