IN the last few of weeks I have had two letters from a commercial organisation called “Pharmacy2U”.

The envelope gave the impression, by using the NHS logo, that it was an official communication inviting the recipient to obtain their medications from “Pharmacy2U”.

Pharmacy2U are based in Leeds and the principal function, it would appear, is to commandeer as much NHS dispensing as it can for profit.

There’s nothing illegal here but the end result could be the decimation of our extremely good local pharmacies.

People may take up the offer thinking it is an NHS scheme rather than a commercial operation.

In Sible Hedingham we have a very good pharmacy but this type of aggressive marketing could easily undermine small pharmacies.

The main attraction of the company is the fact that they are willing to deliver the medicines.

Local pharmacies and dispensing doctors have done this in the past for patients who could not get to the chemist or the surgery.

I would have thought it would not be a problem for local pharmacies to get together to provide a better delivery service.

Local pharmacies provide an irreplaceable service, particularly in rural areas and it would be sad if they were to become financially unviable due to organisations far removed from those they might damage.

I hope that people will be concerned about the erosion of such important local services.

Dr Norman Edwards