HUNDREDS of people have shared experiences of using their local pharmacy and how the pandemic impacted service.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire, the county's independent health watchdog, created a survey at the start of the year and relaunched it in June.

More than 300 people completed it, with people reporting anxiety travelling to the pharmacy to pick up prescriptions and increased queues and delays since coronavirus.

ALSO READ: 'Remarkable' brain centre opens in Oxford to change dementia treatment

Others though reported how pharmacists had stepped up to the challenge of Covid-19 and organised deliveries to the most vulnerable.

Overall, the vast majority of people (94 per cent) lives within five miles of a pharmacy.

Just over half of participants said they sometimes get medical advice from the pharmacist, mainly for minor ailments, medication interactions, and the flu jab.

Some reported a lack of trust towards pharmacies or said pharmacists were too busy or not available.

ALSO READ: Oxford covid cases go up by a dozen in 48 hours

Despite increased technology for ordering repeat prescriptions three quarters of people collected their prescriptions from the pharmacy, with only nine per cent having them delivered.

Practical problems at pharmacies included long delays, long queues, receiving the wrong medication or shortages of medicine supplies.

A final report is due to be published in October.