A PHARMACY in Castlepoint Shopping Centre is expected to close next month.

The LloydsPharmacy branch inside Sainsbury’s in Castlepoint is closing as part of the pharmacy’s response to “changing market conditions”.

It is understood locally it will shut on Saturday, April 22.

LloydsPharmacy announced it was withdrawing its services from Sainsbury’s supermarkets at the beginning of 2023.

The Castlepoint store is one of 237 branches impacted by the move.

The company said it is currently exploring options for each individual branch, but expects to complete all the closures over the course of 2023.

Speaking on the announcement, chief executive officer of LloydsPharmacy, Kevin Birch, said: “This decision has not been an easy one and we understand that our patients and customers may have questions about how the change will affect them.

“We would like to thank them for their continued support and assure them that we are committed to providing a smooth transition over the coming months.

“I am very grateful to all our colleagues for their dedication to our patients, customers and communities.”

The Lloyds Pharmacy branch inside Sainsbury’s in Christchurch has already closed its doors.

Its last day of trade was March 13, in line with the expiry of the lease with Sainsbury's.