People in Fareham will now be able to pick up their prescriptions from a vending machine as a pharmacy gets the green light to make changes to its shop front and entrance.

Fareham Borough Council has given the go-ahead for H J Everett at Bridge Road, Park Gate, to install a new ramp, shop front, signs and a prescription collection machine.

The planning application, from Matthew Jones of the Baptt Group, was approved along with separate permission for internally illuminated fascia signs and internally illuminated projecting signs.

The external ramp will replace the masonry block paving with a ramp with an anti-slip finish and a grey colour steel handrail with a chrome finish. The new shopfront will have a sliding door for easy access.

A new fascia sign will replace an existing standard 100mm folded box pan with push-through side-lit letters incorporating the Everetts Pharmacy logo, plus an NHS and green cross sign.

The new ramp was needed to make sure the pharmacy, which also incorporates a shop is compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act, giving disabled people a right of access to goods, facilities, services and premises.

The new electronic prescription collection machine service allows patients to collect their prescriptions from a vending-style machine at a convenient time, outside of surgery hours, 24/7. A consent form needs to be completed at the patient’s surgery to access the service if it is available.

A text alert along with a PIN number is sent to the patient once the prescription is available in the machine. On collection, the PIN is entered into the machine via a touch screen,  NHS exemption reasons can be added on the screen or there is a card payment facility.