Community pharmacies have been told to close by 6pm every day, with the reduced opening hours intended to better control patient flows.
The directive was sent to pharmacists on Saturday morning by the Chamber of Pharmacists and pharmacy owners section of the Chamber of SMEs.
It directs pharmacy owners to close no later than 6pm every day and says it is “highly recommended” that pharmacies prevent patients from entering inside between 1pm and 4pm, and instead serve them from behind closed doors or other means.
Pharmacies generally open until 7pm, though others only close at 8pm or sometimes later.
The new directive is intended to reduce pharmacists’ exposure to patients and cut their risk of being infected with the COVID-19 virus.
“We recommend this so that that the patient footfall in pharmacies is reduced, intermittent and not continual,” the Chamber said, adding that pharmacists should not engage with patients for any longer than 10 minutes and that any longer consultations should be done remotely, over of the phone.
Scepticism
But two pharmacists who spoke to Times of Malta said they feared the reduced opening hours would prove to be counter-productive.
"This will just increase the number of patients who visit between 4pm and 6pm," one said. "The number of people we serve will not be reduced."
Another echoed that sentiment.
"This won't lead to the outcome they are hoping for," he said.
"It's not the amount of time that a pharmacy is open for that matters: it is the contact time with patients that increases or reduces risk".
The directive comes one day after a pharmacy in Balzan confirmed that one of its employees had tested positive for the virus. The pharmacy was shut down to be professionally fumigated and reopened on Saturday.
Health authorities have advised anyone who visited Balzan Pharmacy on Triq San Franġisk on Monday or Tuesday of this week to self-isolate and look out for symptoms. Key symptoms include fever, cough or shortness of breath.
Any symptoms can be reported to the coronavirus helpline on 111.