Pittenweem Pharmacy made national headlines when it was granted a licence by Fife Licensing Board last week (June 26), to sell alcohol between 10am and 6pm.

But pharmacy manager Iain Rooney told C+D on Tuesday (July 3) that the pharmacy is “distinct from the store”.

“The name above the shop is Pittenweem Store, Post Office and Pharmacy,” Mr Rooney said.

“[The press] got very excited that the pharmacy is selling alcohol, but… the pharmacy is not selling alcohol, the shop is.”

Mr Rooney added that the “main till” of the store, which also sells lottery tickets and cigarettes, is “as far away from the pharmacy section as it can be”.

The premises has not yet been set up to sell alcohol, Mr Rooney stressed.

RPS view

Royal Pharmaceutical Society interim director for Scotland Aileen Bryson said the organisation “understands that these premises – like many supermarkets which also have a pharmacy – has registered a different part of the premises for this new service, separating it from the existing pharmacy service”.

“We would not expect the pharmacist to be involved in the sale of alcohol,” Ms Bryson added.

Fife Licensing Board confirmed to C+D that the alcohol licence had been granted, after listening to the owner, police and an objection from a neighbouring property.

“Our licensing standard officers [said] they didn’t think any of the licensing objectives would be breached, so they granted it,” Fife Licensing Board deputy clerk June Barrie said.