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Pharmacy inspections

Inspection reports and learning from inspections

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Working with voluntary organisations to provide a medication delivery service.

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

There is an increase in requests for home deliveries due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the pharmacy team have identified a suitable external provider that can make deliveries on their behalf and increase the capacity of the home delivery service.

How the pharmacy did this

The pharmacy manager had organised with the manager of the dial-a-ride service at the local hospital and arranged for the drivers to deliver prescriptions for the pharmacy which increased the number of home deliveries the pharmacy could make each day. The dial-a-ride drivers usually helped transport elderly and vulnerable people to services, such as hospital outpatient appointments. But as non-essential hospital services had been reduced, they had spare capacity. The drivers had already been trained in safeguarding vulnerable groups and were Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked.

What difference this made to patients

Elderly and vulnerable patients are effectively supported and receive their medicines on time. The dial-a-ride service is adding extra capacity to the home delivery service and supports people to follow social distancing guidance.

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