PATIENTS of Creech St Michael doctors' surgery have been told they can no longer get medication from the surgery as they live too close to a new pharmacy opening.

Currently patients can get prescriptions and their medication from the surgery, but those who live within 1.6km of Sainsburys at Hankridge Park have been sent letters saying that once the supermarket's new pharmacy is up and running they will have to take their prescriptions there instead.

This is because of national regulations that GPs in rural areas can dispense medication if there is no pharmacy nearby, but if one opens up then they have to stop.

One resident affected is Rita McClure of Newlands Grove.

She said: "This is an efficient local service widely used by the elderly and infirm who will now be forced to travel to other less convenient sites, surely the supermarkets have already changed the face of rural life enough without inflicting further damage."

But despite the problems this might cause people Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust says there is little that can be done.

A spokesman said: "It is usual practice for a doctor to prescribe and a pharmacy to dispense a prescription for a patient.

"Under national dispensing regulations, there is a special dispensation for people living in rural areas, which states that where there is no pharmacy nearby the GP practice can dispense prescriptions.

"However, when a new pharmacy opens, then the regulations state that this special dispensation no longer applies to those patients who live within 1.6km of the new pharmacy.

"Most pharmacies in Somerset do however offer a collection and delivery service to those with transport difficulties."