During my lunchbreak today, I went to collect a prescription from Boots, that I had sent in the previous day. When I arrived, I was told that the pharmacy assistant couldn't give me my medication as the pharmacist was out on lunch. Whilst I totally understand that the pharmacist needs a lunchbreak, working people who need to collect a prescription during the work week, will usually only have time to do so in their lunchbreak. Which makes 11.45a.m.-2pm peak business critical hours to dispensing chemists. How is it good business to allow the only staff members allowed to dispense medications to take a break at the precise time when most customers will be attending stores to collect those medications? Clearly, in order to meet customer need in this regard, dispensing staff members should be staggering/timing their breaks to ensure that a dispensing staff member is always available to service customers during peak business hours. This is not happening at Boots the Chemist, where it is standard practice for the dispensing side of the pharmacy to close for an hour at lunch time, so a paid pharmacist can take a lunchbreak, to the detriment of unknown multiples of paying customers - who are routinely left unable to collect prescription medications in the time they have available to them. Failure to collect on the 1st attempt also means customers have to return to branch a 2nd time. Which costs the customer time and resources, reduces goodwill and at the moment - also doubles each returning customers exposure to Covid. As they have to leave home to complete this simple task twice instead of once, when everyone is still supposed to be staying home to protect themselves and each other. Bad business sense, inadequate customer service, poor community support. Shame on you Boots.