Big Petitions give backing to local chemists (follow up to last week's story)

7.06.00am GMT Mon 17th Mar 2003

After the launch of the campaign last week by MP Vincent Cable to save local chemists faced with a threat to their future from unregulated competition from supermarkets, hundreds of residents have supported petitions to stop the changes.

Amongst these are:

*Kirby Chemists in Teddington High Street (Salim Rajabali) with 600+ signatures. He stresses the importance of the chemist's services to elderly customers seeking advice

*Minal Pharmacy in Whitton High Street (Hemant Tailer). He explains that the 'monitored dosage system' for residential homes would be put at risk

*Charles Harry Pharmacy, Richmond Road (M.S. Ubbi). A petition with 450 names

Cross Road Pharmacy, Staines Road Twickenham (Mr Matharoo) 1250 signatures. Cross Roads provides a delivery service to the housebound, also helps with drug addicts and heavy smokers. All these services are under threat.

Vincent Cable said: "I am delighted to see so much spontaneous support from the public. The arguments about competition policy and the Office of Fair Trading are technically complex. But the essential point is that an abandonment of the present arrangements would mean a concentration of "

"pharmacies in supermarkets and around doctors surgeries with a decline in high street chemists, together with the advice and support which they offer".