I needed to pick up some cough meds while visiting Cardiff. This pharmacy was recommended by our…read moretour guide. Because I wasn't familiar with the brands, I got the assistance of a young lady who worked in the Medicine Dept. She asked thorough questions to make sure she recommended the right one. Although I went for the Pharmacy this store was quite large. There were cards, snacks, sandwiches and drinks. There also was a large assortment of beauty, hygiene and toiletry products. Probably even more departments in the back that I didn't see.

ABOSULETLY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE !!! I was looking for a…read moremoisturiser and went up to one of the sales assistant and asked her if they sold a moisturiser which I had seen online. She looked at me rudely straight in the face and blanked me completely and didnt bother to give me an answer. She just turned around to her colleague and pretended that she was speaking about someone else in front of me to her colleague. I am a person from a minority ethnic background and I just know the motive was pure racism. I didn't bother saying anything more because did not want to cause any DRAMA. I just turned around and walked away, this ruined my mood and shopping experience in Boots.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I have a weakness for junior doctors/surgeons/young cute medical…read morestaff in general so when I worked for one summer at the University Hospital I did feel like I'd died and gone to heaven for a little while. It's a boots, you know the drill, it's convenient, it has meal deals and paracetemol and it's familiar. I can recommend this particular branch for it's potential for people spotting. At lunchtime, gorgeous young nurses, doctors and all sorts flood in to grab a quick meal deal. Most of them still in their scrubs, stethescopes attached. Very nice. It's one of my favourite places on earth.

This was the pharmcy where I got my inhaler!…read more When I walked in I was a little bit confused by the lay out. There didn't really seem to be any coherence in the way things were organised - why was the make up all spread out? Where's the medicine? Where do I hand in my prescription? There was also a little table of 1/2 price toys but something about it just reminded me of those fetes your school runs. You've been put in charge of a stall but, let's face it, you're a child. You have no clue what you're doing... Not really a good look for a professional shop. The service was quite slow but when I got my prescription she explained to me how the inhaler would work and waved me off with a smile. Oh I do like friendly service. There are also a few chairs to sit on while you wait so, all in all, it wasn't too bad.

If you've seen a few of my reviews on this site, you'll know that I'm a glutton for old type shops…read more This is like pharmacies used to be, with a pharmacist and no sandwiches. It does seem a bit odd to go into a shop where everything is a bit spread out and there haven't been marketing specialists figuring out the best way to make you buy stuff you didn't know you wanted, but then this is a shop for when you know what you want. They've got a bit of everything, and you could do much worse in an emergency. Most important, though, is the pharmacist himself. Really helpful and friendly and really seems to know what is what. If you're ever worried, need specific medication or want to chat to someone before you wait two weeks for a Drs appointment, then pop in and see R E Hargrave.

In case you happen to be a regular reader of my posts, yes, as you have probably worked out by now…read moreI do use a different pharmacy every time I get a prescription from the doctor. Well, I'd have nothing to review if I always went to the same place! Anyway, as pharmacies go (and let me tell you, they're all very similar!) this one does have a little bit of an edge for two main reasons. Number 1 - the service is vcery fast. I always wondered why it took so long to take a piece of paper, go back behind a screen and find the matching drugs. I still don't know. I assume that they have to fill in some kind of paperwork? Well, this pharmacy seems to cut through that documentation like superman. I appreciate the hurry. Number 2 - I like the Co-op. It's a good business, with good morals, good ethics and a good level of customer service.

The Co-operative Pharmacy is one of the better chains of pharmacies available on the high street…read more There seems to be quite a few of them in South Wales, and as far as I can tell, they seem to even outnumber Lloyds, and possibly even Boots. The City Road Co-operative Pharmacy is quite small compared to their larger sites, and so they are limited as to what they can stock. Nevertheless, the carry a good range of products on the shop floor, and the pharmacy itself still manages to carry a full range of prescription drugs. They always have some great special offers on non-prescription drugs and toiletries too. I really enjoy the level of service that you get in a Co-operative Pharmacy. The staff are always really well trained and are consequently eminently knowledgeable about their product range. They can usually advise on local clinics, organisations and associations where appropriate. The pharmacists tend to be equally helpful.

The Co-op Pharmacy, located on the Mermaid Quay end of Bute Street, is a well-stocked and…read morewell-presented medicine dispenser with pleasant, knowledgeable staff. I've gotten a few prescriptions filled here, and the lovely ladies behind the counter are quick (less than a five minute wait) and cheerful, which is always welcome when you're ill and in need of a friendly exchange. I like the ethos of the Co-op Pharmacy, so I try to shop here whenever possible. They often have sales on a range of items, sometimes making it as cost-effective as shopping at Asda (my beloved bought Johnson nappy wipes here for only £1 a pack, which is really reasonable). If you head toward the back, right in front of the till, you'll find their marked down/clearance items. I found a few face masks priced at only 50p each and a nasal hay fever remedy that was half off. Bargain! I just wish they were open on weekends, but if I ever need a prescription that badly, there's always the Queen Street Boots, which is open until 8pm most days.

I seem to spend most of my time in pharmacies at the moment, though now that I have got this new…read morebrown steroid inhaler I'm hoping it will all turn around. This pharmacy is actually one of my favourites, though the reason why is quite hard to put my finger on. After all, it doesn't really provide either much more or much less than any of the (many) others I've visited. I think that part of it is just seeing how clean it is. I always feel that pharmacists who work in a clean shop will be able to help me better. Secondly, I like the Co-op as a business; the way it treats its suppliers, customers and employees. Maybe the sun was shining particularly brilliantly on it that day; I don't know why else I would have walked past Boots to get to this other pharmacy. But I'm glad I did.

This new pharmacy has just opened at the top of Clifton Street (Newport Road end) as part of the…read moreregeneration scheme. It's small but well-stocked and is very white and 'medical' looking! I popped in at 10.30am on a Saturday morning not long after it opened and there was no one in there apart from the charming young guy behind the counter and the pharmacist out back. I was greeted with smiles and relief - 'at last, a customer!' I could almost hear the thought reverberating in their heads. The pharmacy had lots of deals and offers on cold and flu remedies and the guy serving me made sure that I had taken the Beechams Flu Capsules before and knew what I was doing. I hope this personal service picks up when their business does! One puzzle yet to be solved, however, is why, oh why, have they just opened a small pharmacy at the end of Clifton Street when the huge 'Clifton Pharmacy' is positioned just down the road and another, smaller pharmacy is literally around the corner on Broadway? Three pharmacies within meters of each other - surely we're not that much of a sick-note Britain?

Clifton Pharmacy is owned and run by Pauline M Driscol... and it has to be said that It comes as…read moreno surprise... this is a beautifully presented chemist that really could only be owned by a woman! The shop front is immaculate, painted in sophisticated tones of green and cream, and the shop itself is laid out with flair and imagination, as well as being well ordered and easy to use. Clifton Pharmacy also has to be one of the largest independent chemists in Cardiff, and whilst it struggles to compete in scale with the large outlet of Boots in the centre of town, it is nevertheless an impressively stocked shop that carries a really good range of stock. It is possible to buy pretty much anything here that you would find in a larger chain, and the prices are competitive too. What distinguishes this chemist from the chains however, is the level of service that you receive here. The staff are really friendly and incredibly knowledgeable, and so this is great if you are not entirely sure about what you are looking for. In my experience you also don't have to wait very long for assistance, which is a very different story to the chemists in town. There is rarely a queue for the check-out here, and everything seems to run as smooth as clockwork. Clifton Pharmacy also offers a free prescription delivery and collection service.

It's not been an easy time for independent pharmacists in Adamsdown and Roath over the years. The…read morerise of Boots and the out of town supermarket chains have made it difficult to make your local chemist a going concern. We've even experienced chemists closing on certain estates with break-ins, and intimidation a regular feature chemists have reluctantly closed their doors. So I'm really pleased to fly the flag for the Clifton street Pharmacy where I've been going most of my life and Driscolls Pharmacy on Meteor Street which is close to where I live now. I think it's so important for us to support our local chemists as once they go I think it will be a long time before we get this vital local resource back. The chemist is a place where you get a lot of useful health information and support. It means not having to travel far to get prescriptions. Most people in my area don't have cars and rely on public transport.