29 Sep 2012

Countdown stores to include pharmacies

10:13 am on 29 September 2012

The Countdown supermarket chain is about to install pharmacy facilities in two of its stores, with more to follow next year.

The first stores to incorporate a pharmacy will be in Palmerston North and a new one in the Wellington suburb of Newtown later this year.

The company's pharmacy business manager, Jeremy Armes, says it is a move the public have been asking for and every pharmacy will be operated by trained and registered professional pharmacists.

However, Pharmacy Guild executive chair Karen Crisp is questioning Countdown's ability to guarantee the privacy and security of patient data.

Ms Crisp says she is also worried about how the move may affect smaller community pharmacies.