The Co-operative Group has raised concerns over proposals which would allow pharmacies to open 100 hours a week.

According to the group's chief executive Peter Marks, the new laws would put immense pressure on local community pharmacies.

Addressing an audience at the National Business Awards UK event in Manchester, Mr Marks was quoted by Crains Manchester Business as saying: "The supermarkets see it as footfall generators. We will lobby against 100 hour pharmacies."

"You will have a Post Office situation, where Post Offices have closed. Pharmacies will go to that stage if pharmacies are deregulated," he added.

Supermarkets seem to be strengthening their grip on the pharmacy sector by offering a number of new out-of-hours services to their customers.

In the past month alone Tesco introduced free eye tests at its 131 in-store pharmacies, while Asda began selling IVF treatment.

Commenting on its free eye-test offer, Ashley Hicks, Tesco's director of pharmacy and healthcare, said that convenient opening hours and removal of the cost barrier would boost the uptake of eye tests in the UK.