Budleigh Salterton Town Council has provisionally supported a proposal to open a new pharmacy in the town. The members said they ‘welcomed competition’.

A proposal to open a new pharmacy in Budleigh Salterton has found favour with the town council.

Budleigh Salterton Town Council recently said it ‘welcomed competition’ when Marcin Mazurek approached the members with an application to open an independent pharmacy in the town.

However, the members said they were unwilling to support the proposal at this time because Mr Mazurek’s application contained ‘insufficient detail’.

Councillor Steve Hall said there were ‘too many unanswered questions and grey areas’ that needed addressing. Councillor John Shiel said the application was a ‘brilliant idea’ and would ‘serve the town well’ if longer hours were offered.

Mr Mazurek recently approached the council, asking members to support a group of experienced pharmacists who were keen to open an independent pharmacy in the town, by supporting the group’s request to the Primary Care Trust for a new pharmacy contract.

In a letter to the council, Mr Mazurek said: “We are planning to apply for a pharmacy licence and, at this stage, we are collecting opinions about our project.

“There are two pharmacies in the town – both are owned and operated by Lloyds Pharmacy.

“In this situation, the lack of diversity of service providers limits patient choice. Competition is crucial to keep pharmaceutical care on a high level and ensure that patients are secure with professional advice.”