A LloydsPharmacy store in Salisbury, Wiltshire, is the 500th in the company to have undergone a makeover to upgrade and modernise the pharmacy’s services.

The roll-out of the European Pharmacy Network (EPN) model, from LloydsPharmacy and parent company Celesio UK, aims to offer patients “an enhanced range of services in more contemporary, inviting, retail environments”.

The company continues its store development programme despite the threat of pharmacy funding cuts in England, said Nigel Swift, sales and marketing director at Celesio UK.

“Against a backdrop of proposed funding cuts, we’re committed to keeping community pharmacy at the heart of primary care. A big part of this is being able to offer patients exceptional services in our stores; providing expert care that can support the NHS.

“It’s been over three years since we started this journey and I’m incredibly proud that we’re continuing to invest in our bricks and mortar pharmacies.

The store concept includes a particular focus on pain management and skin conditions, with innovative primary care services providing "compelling reasons for patients to make pharmacy their first port of call,” he said.

“The new LloydsPharmacy store concept (EPN) is designed to create a more inviting and engaging pharmacy experience for patients. It’s all about offering extended services and expert advice from a team of in-store experts. Patients can benefit from interactive assessments to help them manage pain and other ailments as well as a state of the art digital scanner, which can diagnose various skin conditions. The clear signposting and wider range of products, make it easier for customers to navigate the store and find what they want.”

LloydsPharmacy, part of the Celesio Group, has over 1,500 pharmacies across the UK. The company employs over 17,000 staff and dispenses more than 150 million prescription items annually.