£500,000 Investment To Deliver New Shanklin Pharmacy

Over half a million pounds of investment is set to deliver a new Isle of Wight pharmacy at the site of a former toy shop.

On September 14, Regent Pharmacy will enterw a new era with a move across the road to 70-74 Regent Street in Shanklin, previously home to Toymaster.

It is the culmination of a three-year project with over 6,000 hours of skilled work.

On a tour of the new premises, currently a hive of activity, owner Gary Warner said that with around 25,000 prescriptions a month and eight to ten clinical services – both NHS and private, more capacity is needed for patients and staff.

Explaining the move, Mr Warner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Having more space will make us quicker. We see lots and lots of patients each month, the fact they’ve got space to sit down…you won’t be queuing for consultation rooms.

“We close for an hour on a Thursday, the company – me, buys the staff lunch and we sit down, we do training every week…it’s a powerful driver to improving care, improving quality of services and improving everybody’s knowledge base.

“At the moment what they do is grab a stool or a box or delivery tote, sit down on it with their lunch and we go through the training session – whereas on the new site we’ve got a purpose-built staff room, more than one toilet, we’ve got a kitchen.

“All of those are there to make sure that what my team experiences is of the same quality and level as my patients and customers.”

The journey to the new site got underway in June 2023 when Regent Pharmacy signed a lease.

In early 2024, structural engineers came in and detailed plans started to be shaped for the layout of the premises – balancing patient flow, safety and space.

Applications were lodged with the Isle of Wight Council for planning and building control by the middle of the year.

The landlord started major remediation works in early 2025 and towards the end of the year further structural problems were uncovered which needed immediate attention.

In 2026, works have included wall insulation, waterproofing, and final flooring ahead of next month’s opening.

It will be a welcome move for thousands of Islanders.