Pharmacy type
Community
Pharmacy context
COVID-19
Relevant standards
- 4.1 - The pharmacy services provided are accessible to patients and the public
Why this is notable practice
The pharmacy is helping to ensure people are able to access it for essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is doing this by reducing its displays of non-essential items which are available to purchase elsewhere. This is physically helping to reduce the number of people visiting the pharmacy for non-essential items.
How the pharmacy did this
The pharmacy had put a closed door policy in place to support social distancing. But its team members had noted some people joining the queue were attending for non-essential items which were available elsewhere. It had considered the risk this posed to people who needed to access pharmacy services. In order to support these people, it had moved non-essential products from display. This had successfully reduced the number of people visiting the pharmacy when there was not an essential need to do so. It also meant that the team had extra space to work as they were able to move tote boxes and excess stock from the dispensary into some of the space created.
What difference this made to patients
People can access pharmacy services in an efficient manner. And the pharmacy is actively supporting the ‘stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives’ message from the government.
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: