A chemist in Oxford has resumed operations after an unforeseen three-month shutdown necessitated by urgent construction work.

The Allied Pharmacy branch on Henley Avenue in Iffley informed customers of its closure on Thursday, February 5, displaying a notice on the premises entrance.

At that point, the reason for the closure and anticipated reopening date remained unclear, with the establishment shut down because circumstances beyond their control had arisen, with no timeline provided for resuming trade while patient prescriptions were redirected to alternative locations.

The city chemist has now resumed trading, welcoming customers again from April 27 onwards.

The premises underwent structural repairs after workers discovered that a tree had penetrated through the shop wall, creating a safety hazard that prevented continued operation.

A dispenser at the outlet named Joe, who chose not to provide his surname, stated that customers are returning under standard opening hours with all regular services now accessible.

The Allied Pharmacy location operates from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays, closes at 1pm on Saturdays and remains shut on Sundays.

Following the announcement of the closure, Anneliese Dodds, the Labour MP representing Oxford East, communicated with Allied Pharmacy’s central management and publicly disclosed their response.

According to the pharmacy staff, all prescriptions held at the Henley Avenue branch were either collected by patients or transferred to the NHS central electronic prescribing system, allowing individuals to retrieve their prescriptions and obtain dispensing services at a pharmacy of their preference without needing to place a fresh order.

The staff indicated at the time that they recognised sudden closures could worry patients and expressed regret for any disruption experienced.

Allied Pharmacies operates more than 200 outlets throughout the United Kingdom, including another Oxford branch on Ivy Close in Cowley.