From later this year doctors at the Kepple Lane Health Centre will take over direct control of the centre's pharmacy - introducing longer opening hours and weekend opening.
The move will coincide with the scrapping of a much-criticised rule which has meant 7,000 Garstang town patients who obtain prescriptions from the Kepple Lane doctors have been barred from having their drugs dispensed at the centre - while 10,000 patients from villages surrounding Garstang can use the pharmacy to get their prescription drugs.
The changes follow a victory by the Kepple Lane GPs in their bid to run the health centre pharmacy.
Earlier requests to health bosses had been blocked following objections by the Co-op, which feared the competition could lead to the closures of its pharmacy businesses on High Street and Windsor Road.
This week doctors at both surgeries at the health centre (Windsor and Landscape) said the changes would mean a better deal for all their patients.
In a statement on behalf of all the GPs, Dr Jonathan Williamson said: "When this pharmacy opens it will allow all patients to have prescriptions dispensed at the Kepple Lane Pharmacy site - regardless of their address.
"This will also allow the integration of pharmacy services into the doctors' surgeries on the same site - something we have been keen to pursue ever since our new premises opened.
"This pharmacy will provide extended opening hours at evenings and weekends providing a more convenient and accessible service for patients."
Details of the extended opening hours and services at the doctor-led pharmacy have yet to be revealed though it is understood that their newly-issued licence permits an operation running up to 100 hours a week.
Also still to be announced is how many new staff may be taken on at the pharmacy at Kepple Lane, if the boosted facilities will remain in the current pharmacy area of the health centre, and details of any additional clinical services.
The doctors, who had originally hoped to be granted their licence by early 2006 in time for the opening of the £2.75 million health centre, say they hope to have their pharmacy service fully operational by the end of this year. The current pharmacy operation at Kepple Lane is understood to be run under a temporary contract.
In previous skirmishes between the GPs and the Co-op, the Co-op had warned that both its two branches in the town "would be forced to close" if a doctors-led pharmacy was approved.
The Co-op's previously successful attempt to block the doctors from running the Kepple Lane pharmacy prompted an angry response by the doctors who accused the Co-op of wanting to "protect their long-held monopoly" and removing freedom of choice in where their patients had their prescriptions dispensed.
Asked to comment on the news of the success of the Garstang GPs application, a Co-op spokesman, who confirmed they had also urged this application be rejected, said they were "disappointed''.
He said the Co-op kept the future of all its 800 pharmacies under review, including the two in Garstang.