Pharmacy2U saw prescription nominations rise by 20,168 in the final week of March compared to the previous week, according to data published by NHS Digital last week (March 30).

This brought the total number of active EPS nominations for Pharmacy2U to 441,265 at the time the data was published, the highest number of any pharmacy in England.

C+D has contacted Pharmacy2U for comment.

Echo, which is owned by LloydsPharmacy, recorded the second highest increase during the  week ending March 27. A 7,568 rise in nominations brought Echo’s total number of active nominations to139,308 – the third highest in England.

There has been an “extraordinary demand”, with patient nominations “up significantly” since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Echo told C+D yesterday (April 1).

“The self-isolated, shielded and those just practising social distancing have seen this as an opportunity to explore online options and our demographic is shifting,” it added.

To cope with the increased demand, Echo is “currently recruiting” more staff.

“Like in bricks and mortar pharmacies, our pharmacists and teams are working extremely hard,” the company  said.