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Pharmacy inspections

Inspection reports and learning from inspections

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Protecting people in poor weather and keeping them socially distanced.

Pharmacy type

Community

Pharmacy context

COVID-19

Relevant standards

  • 4.2 - Pharmacy services are managed and delivered safely and effectively

Why this is notable practice

The pharmacy ensures that people are kept safe, warm and dry when waiting for their COVID-19 vaccination. And it successfully uses its volunteers to minimise the number of people waiting at the pharmacy entrance.

How the pharmacy did this

The pharmacy was attached to a local health centre. And it was providing a COVID-19 vaccination service at its registered premises. It had divided its layout so that it used the rear of the pharmacy and its consultation room for regular services. And it used the front of the premises for the vaccination service. People had access to two car parks nearby. One was a multi-storey car park for the railway station next to it. And the other was an open-air car park used by people accessing the pharmacy and health centre.

The pharmacy had used one of its volunteers to direct people into the car parks. And another volunteer had gritted the surface of the open-air car park during icy weather. The pharmacy team had negotiated with their local railway station and had arranged for the provision of a small number of free car parking spaces for an hour at a time for people to use. The pharmacy team had arranged for a volunteer to be on each floor of the multi-story car park. And had provided each volunteer with a two-way hand-held radio. As people arrived, the volunteer contacted an administrator in the pharmacy to let them know that the person had arrived for their appointment. The person then waited in their car to keep warm until the pharmacy was ready for them. When the pharmacy was ready it contacted the volunteer on their radio who advised the person to proceed to the pharmacy for their vaccination. This meant, at any one time there was only one person waiting in the vaccination queue at the pharmacy entrance.

What difference this made to patients

People can access the vaccination service with ease, whilst being protected from poor weather. The system also effectively manages social distancing requirements between all people using the pharmacy.

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:

  1. 1.1 Risk management
  2. 1.2 Reviewing and monitoring the safety of services
  3. 4.2 Safe and effective service delivery
  4. 4.3 Sourcing and safe, secure management of medicines and devices
  5. 2.2 Staff skills and qualifications