It can be bloody annoying when pharmacies all close in the evening. Very rarely ever happens, especially as my GP prebooks appointments for me. The good thing about my surgery, is the regular GP I have, he is one of the most senior ones in the health service for the trafford area of manchester, and he is both compassionate, and unlike quite a few docs, EMTs, hospital nurses etc. that I've had the dubious 'pleasure' of interacting with, he really knows his stuff, and unlike many, isn't at all arrogant, if I bring up clinical evidence supporting/against a suggestion, doesn't have a hissy fit if I bring in some journal articles etc. to back up an idea I have ('what do you think your doing? I'm not even going to bother looking or listening, I'm the doctor and I always know best' type of an attitude, which regrettably seems all too common)
Once in a while though if I can't get an appointment with him and have to take someone else, or if its an emergency fit-in, as the surgery opens at 8:30am, and by 8:35, all the ones with my doc are almost certainly taken, everybody wants his slots, by 8:50, you are bloody lucky to get anybody at all; not to mention the phone lines are instantaneously jammed the moment they become active, means I have to walk up there some 15-20 minutes in advance to make sure I'm the first one there before the big long que forms if I can't get a pre-book (the receptionists are lying toads, and claim they can't do it. (BS, I've seen them do it), so I have my doc himself book the next one in advance.
But a handful of times I've only managed to squeeze in at about 6pm, when all the local pharmacies close but for those in supermarkets, which very often don't even have all my meds in stock, the muscle relaxer/adrenal suppressant tizanidine in particular is a bugger to get hold of, many places don't carry it at all, or if they do, they don't have the higher dosage format that I take.
Means going all the way into manchester city center where there is a pharmacy that is open all day and night, every day and night, including xmas, bank holidays etc. A pain in the arse of a journey, especially when I actually needed my meds at 9am or so, and only get anything at nearly 11pm.
