The firm has taken over the pharmacy on Woodstock Road, which will now be known as Rowlands Pharmacy Lanark.

The event, which served as a celebration of and recommitment to serving the local community, saw Lord Cornet Ross Fitzgerald cut the all-important blue ribbon to welcome in the new era.

Rowlands Pharmacy Lanark, which is part of Numark Pharmacy, will be run by Ruth Clark and a team of colleagues from the local community.

As part of the celebrations, the branch made a donation of £250 to charity, Cancer Research UK, the world's largest independent funder of cancer research.

Ruth said: “It was a wonderful morning. It was lovely to welcome the community into store and re-cement our commitment to them.

“As community pharmacists we’re a pillar of healthcare; I look forward to meeting more of the community in the coming weeks.”

Lord Cornet Ross Fitzgerald added: “I had a fantastic time opening the new Numark Pharmacy at the Community Open Day. It was an honour to officially open the doors and welcome customers in.

“Community pharmacies are so important in providing access to health care and I’m proud to have supported Numark Pharmacy in providing this much needed facility.”

As part of NHS Pharmacy First, community pharmacies provide expert help for treating conditions such as sore throats, earache, and cold sores, along with common clinical conditions such as urinary tract infections (UTIs). This is in addition to prescription dispensary, vaccination services, over the counter medications, emergency contraception and medication review.

The service aims to help people access the right care in the right place, without having to go to their GP practice or local Accident and Emergency Department for non-urgent treatment.

The new pharmacy is located in the Woodstock Medical Centre on Woodstock Road and will be open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 6.30pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Ross does the honours as Rowlands Pharmacy Lanark opens