Hundreds of pharmacies based in supermarkets will close this week according to reports. All 237 LloydsPharmacy branches located in Sainsbury's will cease operation by the end of business on Tuesday, according to Pharmacy Business magazine.
The closures were originally planned to be phased in over the next year, but have now been brought forward. An earlier announcement blamed "changing market conditions" for the decision, which is thought to put 2,000 jobs on the line across the UK.
It follows a restructuring operation at the firm reports the Mirror, which is the UK's second-largest chain of chemists behind Boots. Multinational private equity firm Aurelius purchased Lloyds Pharmacy from Sainsbury's last year.
