Allied Pharmacy on Friday Street in Minehead was only announced to open in the latter part of last year after the pharmacy group, Allied Pharmacies, announced it would be taking over roughly 60 pharmacy locations in the UK, including 10 in Somerset.
And now, roughly seven months after that announcement, a closure date has been set for Wednesday, July 1.
“Patients who use Allied for prescriptions will need to make arrangements for their prescriptions to be sent to a different pharmacy from July 1, 2026,” reads a comment from Minehead Medical Centre on social media.
After the Allied Pharmacies takeover was announced, Tiverton and Minehead MP Rachel Gilmour wrote to the Minister of State for Care, Stephen Kinnock MP, on multiple occasions to share her concerns about the “poor performance” of Jhoots in Tiverton and Williton.
Ms Gilmour said: “Williton is a rural village with many elderly and vulnerable residents who face barriers to transport and now struggle to access essential medication and healthcare support.
“The closure of the pharmacy has removed a vital local service, leaving many residents at risk of delayed or disrupted care.”
In a statement confirming the takeover last year, a spokesperson for Allied Pharmacies said: “We are pleased to announce that we have taken over the management of 60 Jhoots’ pharmacies.
“While the majority of these locations are temporarily closed, we are fully committed to reinstating essential pharmacy services.
“We recognise the fundamental role that community pharmacies play in supporting public health and wellbeing and understand the disruption caused by these closures, particularly for vulnerable groups who depend on local access to vital healthcare services.
“Our immediate priority is to resume Pharmaceutical Services as soon as possible for these sites.”
Patients who pick up prescriptions from the pharmacy on Friday Street will need to make arrangements for their prescriptions to be sent to a different pharmacy from 1 July 2026.
David McClay, Place Director for Somerset at NHS Somerset, which commissions community pharmacy services, said: “While we know any closure like this can cause local concern, NHS activity at the Allied branch in Minehead was very limited.
“There are three other pharmacies in Minehead who continue to provide a wide range of services to local people.
“We’d encourage anyone who used Allied in Minehead for their prescriptions to make alternative arrangements by choosing another local pharmacy from 1 July.”
There is currently no pharmacy/business planned to take over the site.