| Effective use of monitoring and review mechanisms and a culture of learning from incidents. |
Governance, Leadership, Proactive approach |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 2. Staff |
1.2, 2.4 |
The pharmacy employs good review and monitoring processes, so that the risks associated with pharmacy services are identified and managed. This includes sharing of learning from near misses across all branches. |
Details
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| Preparation of medicines for care homes |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership, Proactive approach, Responsiveness |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
1.1, 4.2, 4.3 |
A clearly defined and systematic approach is taken to the preparation of medicines for care homes with care staff provided with training and advice to manage medicines administration safely. |
Details
|
| Easily accessible pharmacy services for older people |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Innovation, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach, Responsiveness |
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
4.1 |
The pharmacy team has a good level of awareness of the difficulties that some elderly patients face in accessing pharmacy services and other health services and it makes appropriate adjustments to meet the access needs of such patients. |
Details
|
| Automation and digital technology |
Efficiency of processes, Governance, Innovation, Leadership, Proactive approach |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
1.1, 4.2, 4.3 |
Automation and digital technology are used to ensure pharmacy services are delivered safely and effectively. |
Details
|
| Safety of high risk services |
Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
1.1, 4.2 |
The substance misuse service and the needle exchange service are managed safely, reducing the risk of patients receiving the wrong medication or receiving a needle-stick injury. |
Details
|
| Effective staffing model |
Governance, Leadership, Proactive approach |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 2. Staff |
1.1, 2.1 |
The pharmacy team are able to effectively plan the level of staffing and skills mix required to deliver the services offered by means of a model day approach, with set time standards for different activities. |
Details
|
| Monitoring of medication to ensure it is safe to use |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach, Responsiveness |
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
4.3 |
Robust procedures are in place for date checking of medicines and handling of short-dated controlled drugs (CDs) to prevent unsafe medicines being dispensed. |
Details
|
| Responsiveness to patient feedback |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Governance, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach, Responsiveness |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.4 |
Patients using the pharmacy are provided with opportunities to raise concerns or provide feedback which is used to improve the quality of services offered. |
Details
|
| A culture of continuous learning. |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach, Responsiveness |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.2 |
Systematic monitoring and review mechanisms are in place, including checking compliance against GPhC pharmacy standards, demonstrating a culture of continuous learning. |
Details
|
| Challenging the quality of prescribing. |
Added value, Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.2 |
Systematic and regular review of service delivery demonstrates a culture of learning, leading to improvements in the safety and quality of services. For example, an audit into prescriptions returned to the prescribing GP has led to improved tracking and follow up of such prescriptions. |
Details
|
| Insufficient staffing level |
Efficiency of processes, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 2. Staff, Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
1.1, 2.1, 4.2, 4.3 |
There are insufficient staff to provide safe and effective pharmacy services. |
Details
|
| Patients’ feedback about their experience of pharmacy’s services not acted upon. |
Customer and patient focus, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership, Responsiveness |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.4, 1.7, 1.8 |
The pharmacy does not respond appropriately to feedback from people. |
Details
|
| Absence of standard operating procedures for the services provided by the pharmacy |
Customer and patient focus, Efficiency of processes, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 3. Premises, Principle 5. Equipment and facilities |
1.1, 1.2, 3.4, 5.1, 5.2 |
A closed pharmacy commenced operations without having appropriate arrangements and procedures in place for identifying and managing the specific risks presented by this pharmacy. |
Details
|
| Insufficient staffing level |
Customer and patient focus, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Responsiveness |
Principle 1. Governance, Principle 2. Staff, Principle 4. Services, including medicines management |
1.2, 2.1, 4.3 |
The level of trained staff is inadequate for the safe operation of pharmacy services. This is leading to a chaotic working environment, routine training and date checking not taking place and long delays for patients awaiting their medication. |
Details
|
| Management of controlled drugs |
Efficiency of processes, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.1, 1.2, 1.6 |
There are inadequate governance arrangements particularly in respect of controlled drugs (CDs) . A range of standard operating procedures define the processes and procedures at the pharmacy, however most of these are out of date and a review is needed to ensure they reflect current pharmacy practices and are adhered to by staff. Not all near-misses and errors are recorded and reviewed to ensure that all of the emerging risks are managed. Not all of the necessary records are being maintained and CDs are not properly managed. |
Details
|
| Safeguarding vulnerable adults and children |
Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership, Outcomes for patients |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.8 |
There is a poor level of awareness of safeguarding children and other vulnerable people and the employer has not carried out appropriate pre-employment screening. |
Details
|
| Inadequately maintained equipment and facilities |
Customer and patient focus, Governance, Lack of key knowledge and a failure to learn, Leadership, Outcomes for patients |
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities |
5.2 |
Accuracy in the dispensing process is compromised by the use of an uncalibrated electronic counter and unstamped plastic measures. Contamination may occur due to the re-use of medicine containers, use of a cracked glass measure and the use of plastic measures which are harder to clean. More robust monitoring of the fridge temperature is required. |
Details
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| Staff training and development |
Customer and patient focus, Governance, Leadership, Proactive approach |
Principle 2. Staff |
2.2 |
Staff are provided with access to a structured programme of ongoing learning to help to maintain their knowledge and skills. Staff have regular development reviews to help to ensure that they are maintaining the knowledge and skills required for their roles. |
Details
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| Staff learning and development |
Efficiency of processes, Governance, Leadership, Proactive approach |
Principle 2. Staff |
2.2 |
Staff are actively encouraged to reflect on their performance and identify learning and development needs, for themselves and for the pharmacy, and they are supported to address them. The pharmacy provides protected time to undertake continuing education. |
Details
|
| Sharing of risk assessment findings |
Customer and patient focus, Governance, Leadership, Outcomes for patients, Proactive approach |
Principle 1. Governance |
1.1 |
Changes are made to help improve the safety of services. Patterns in errors and issues identified are disseminated to all staff to help minimise future risk. |
Details
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