PLANS to allow supermarkets to open large numbers of in-store pharmacies are "badly thought out and of no benefit to customers", a local chemist claims.

Michael Gordon, a director of Leonard Gordon Chemists in Bolton Road, Kearsley, said the Government had caved into pressure from the "big four" supermarkets - Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury and Morrisons-Safeway - without thinking how the move would benefit consumers.

"There is absolutely no evidence to show that there is any need for more pharmacies in supermarkets," he said.

"The 'big four' have simply put pressure on the Government because they want to try to extend their range of products and services. In fact, they may find it costs them more than it is worth."

Mr Gordon was reacting to the announcement that the licensing system which controls the number of pharmacies allowed to open in an area is to be relaxed by the Department of Health.

Until now, the NHS has monitored and restricted the number of pharmacies by location, to ensure that all ares are covered and that each outlet can generate enough income from NHS prescriptions to survive.

But the Department of Health announcement this week will mean that large supermarkets on out-of-town sites which trade for more than 100 hours a week will be exempt from the controls, effectively allowing them to open more pharmacy outlets.

The decision is a victory for the large stores, who believe that opening an NHS pharmacy will inevitably draw in customers who will stay to buy other products.

But Mr Gordon says customers do not need extra outlets, and supermarkets may struggle to keep them open.

"Many adults can buy the pharmaceutical products they need off the shelf these days," he said. "Smaller chemists like ours have regular, repeat trade.

"Most of our customers are either under 12 or over 60, using repeat prescriptions. They are extremely unlikely to need a chemist at 3am in an out-of-town business park.

"There is also a national shortage of qualified pharmacists in this country. Many supermarkets which already open for 24 hours do not keep the pharmacies open because they cannot get the qualified staff to run them, so where are all these new pharmacists going to come from?"