Malta is a pretty small place. There are 410,000 people on an island just a few miles in length by breadth. One thing Malta is definitely lacking is 24-hour services. When one speaks about 24-hour services, we are talking petrol pumps, convenience stores where you can buy a pint of milk – but above all, it’s a pharmacy that is needed.

Malta has seen its pace of life rapidly change. Many families, even where small children are involved, require both parents to work – it’s useless complaining about it – the situation is what it is and if we want to retain the standard of living that we have, then it’s here to stay.

This means that both mum and dad have to go to work, pick up the kids, drop them off for school, take them to private lessons, drop them off at grandma’s and only then can people start to think about cramming their shopping in, or paying bills or running errands. By this time, it’s normally about 6pm, fast approaching 7pm.

These same parents (and it also applies to the many single people who have taken the ‘massive’ step of living outside the goldfish bowl and setting up home) might also have their own ageing parents to worry about too. It has happened to everyone at some point – the urgent need for anti-inflammatory pills, pain killers, asthma inhalers, perhaps even insulin and goodness only knows what else.

There is also the matter of drug addiction. The subject is still taboo, but it has been addressed to a certain degree in amnesty for disposal of used syringes... but what about that addict so desperate for a hit that he or she might use a dirty needle? The issue is clear. The government has always operated an emergency pharmacy at the major hospital – but they always required a hospital doctor’s prescription.

What is needed is a pharmacy that is always open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We do not suggest a rotation basis, but rather a specific outlet or outlets that are licensed to dispense drugs at all hours. After all, we are not talking about booze bottle shops here; we are talking about a service that will help people in their daily life duties, as well as serving as an ‘emergency’ dispensary. Most European countries have them – the UK, Italy, France... even war-torn Georgia licences them.

The government should issue a tender for placement of pharmacies at Mater Dei and the Gozo General Hospital for starters. As mentioned before, Malta is a small place and when in need of drugs – even a drive from Mellieha will be deemed well worth it – just ask anyone with chronic tooth ache. Once these pilot schemes are up and running, we are sure that other pharmacies will want to join the bandwagon (the mushrooming pastizzi shop phenomenon). But all in all, it is sure to be of benefit to the consumer as a whole. Of course, as with any after hours shop, the products will be a bit more expensive – but that is fair enough. In every European petrol station one can buy a newspaper, carton of milk, pack of bacon, heartburn tablets and paracetamol at 4am. In Malta we buy fuel from a machine. Progress is needed.