A COUPLE who have been serving the community for seven years have launched a petition backing the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's campaign to save community chemists.

And Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson has stepped in to accept the 1,000 signatures from Mark Collins, owner of Bank Street Pharmacy, Rawtenstall.

The petition opposes the proposed deregulation of pharmacy services, recommended by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), that could threaten their existence.

Regulation of the industry currently ensures a good spread of pharmacies across towns.

Campaigners, including local pharmacists, MPs and Age Concern, are concerned bigger practices in town centres and supermarkets will squeeze out smaller, community pharmacists in isolated and deprived areas.

The OFT, which Government ministers will consider next month, proposes a free-for-all, allowing pharmacies dispensing NHS prescriptions to set up anywhere.

Pharmacy owners Mark, 39, and his wife Carolyn, 38, are concerned over the future of their business and say customers may not be able to travel to other pharmacies if the proposals get the go-ahead.

Mark said: "There is an even spread of pharmacies and the majority of people are happy with the way things are.

"The idea has not been thought out properly. We offer a variety of services which may not be suitable for supermarkets.

"Only recently Tesco in Manchester installed a scheme where customers could get the emergency birth control pill over the counter but shoppers didn't like it and the scheme was abolished. Bank Street Pharmacy is busy community pharmacy. We provide NHS prescription dispensing services with advice on how best to take medicines appropriately and ensure that patients get maximum benefit and therefore best value for the NHS.

"We offer a number of services including dealing with methadone prescriptions, needle exchange and the emergency birth control pill.

"These services need to be controlled properly and effectively and I am afraid that this might not happen if pharmacies are deregulated."

Mrs Anderson added: "I welcome these views and share the concern about the possible effect this could have on the provision of pharmacy services in Rossendale and Darwen.

"Publication of this report is a significant milestone for community pharmacy, but its recommendations have potentially far-reaching implications -- not just for pharmacists, but for doctors who dispense, the NHS and, most importantly, for patients as well.

"It is therefore vital that we hear the views of all stakeholders. I intend to present the petition to Parliament as soon as possible."