Pharmacy type
Community
Pharmacy context
This city centre pharmacy is one of several pharmacies owned by the same local company. It dispenses NHS and private prescriptions, sells a range of over-the-counter medicines and provides health advice. The pharmacy provides substance misuse services and a travel health service. It also dispenses some medicines in multi-compartment compliance aids (MDS trays or blister packs) for those who may have difficulty managing their medicines.
Relevant standards
- 4.2 - Pharmacy services are managed and delivered safely and effectively
Why this is notable practice
The pharmacy works together with the local concordance team at the city council to ensure that this service continually meets the needs of local people who have a variety of difficulties with managing their medicines.
The pharmacy has centralised the assembly of its compliance aids which has made the process more efficient for them and freed up the pharmacist's time for other services
How the pharmacy did this
Multi-compartment compliance aids are assembled off-site using a robot, providing photos of each item supplied. The photos help patients and/or their carers to easily identify each individual tablet or capsule in the compliance aids. The pharmacy has regular meetings with members of the concordance team who visit people who use the service. The pharmacy can then adapt the service if people's needs change over time.
What difference this made to patients
People who have difficulty managing their medicines receive a service which is flexible and adapts to their changing needs. People's carers can easily identify each tablet or capsule in the compliance aids.
Highlighted standards
We have identified the standards most likely and least likely to be met in inspections, and highlighted examples of notable practice for each of these standards; to help everyone learn from others and to support continuous improvement: