Changes being introduced by a Cockermouth surgery regarding ordering prescriptions will have a negative effect on patients, it is claimed.

The Castlegate and Derwent Surgery has told town pharmacists they will no longer be allowed to order prescriptions on behalf of patients.

A spokesman said: “The current system of pharmacies ordering medications on behalf of patients leads to errors and waste.

“The system we have implemented is being widely adopted elsewhere and will not inconvenience patients.”

Robert Bratton, of Cockermouth, said: “It would appear patients’ interests are being sacrificed on the altar of expediency yet again.”

The surgery has written to JWW Allison and Boots, both on Main Street, saying: “We have taken the decision to disallow third party ordering of prescriptions as of November 14. We would appreciate if collections from the surgery for scripts only occur once a day to allow our staff to do their jobs without interruption.”

Nat Mitchell, pharmacist at JWW Allison on Main Street, said the new system would inconvenience people. “We have a service patients really appreciate,” he said.

Mr Bratton said: “I perceive an era when individual private pharmacies may become a thing of the past.

“Any reduction in accessibility will lead to a reduction of patient choice, greater demands on understaffed and overburdened GP surgeries.”

A surgery spokesman said: “We endeavour to get more patients signed up to online access which is the quickest, most secure and error free system there can be.”