| Standard not met | Reason | Action being taken by the Pharmacy | By when | Notification By Pharmacy Improvements Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | The pharmacy does not consistently obtain an appropriate diagnosis independently before prescribing a medicine. In addition, the online questionnaires used to collect information before making prescribing decisions inform individuals when they have entered information that makes them ineligible for treatment. This increases the risk that people may alter their answers and receive inappropriate treatment. |
The pharmacy will strengthen its independent diagnosis verification processes by requesting supporting evidence where clinically appropriate, including photographs, copies of previous prescriptions, clinic letters, positive test results, or other relevant documentation before treatment is authorised. In addition, the pharmacy back-end system will be updated to retain and display an audit trail of any amendments made to questionnaire responses so that prescribers can review changes made after the initial submission before making a prescribing decision. |
19/06/2026 | 19/06/2026 |
| 4.2 | When prescribing medicines which require additional safeguards, the pharmacy cannot demonstrate that it routinely informs a person’s regular prescriber when issuing treatment. Or in the absence of the person's consent to do this, make a clear, comprehensive record at the time the prescriber made the decision, setting out the justification for prescribing. This could affect continuity of care and increase clinical risk. |
The pharmacy will further encourage patients to consent to GP notification for treatments requiring additional safeguards. High risk medicines will require a mandatory notification to their GP which the patient will have to consent to before placing the order. |
19/06/2026 | 19/06/2026 |
| 4.2 | The pharmacy’s prescribing and supply processes do not consistently ensure that people receive safe and appropriate care. It supplies medicines that require additional safeguards, such as antibiotics, medicines that require a physical examination, and salbutamol, which requires ongoing monitoring, via a questionnaire-based model only. The pharmacy does not always verify people’s weight and height when supplying weight-loss medicines, and it does not independently verify their medical history. The pharmacy does not always prescribe in line with national guidance, and it issues prescriptions in situations where it intends to provide an emergency supply. |
The pharmacy will strengthen prescribing safeguards for higher-risk medicines and treatments. Salbutamol supplies will be restricted to emergency supply situations only and will not be used as a replacement for routine GP prescribing or ongoing asthma management. Evidence will be requested to prove that they are using salbutamol, such as a repeat slip or labelled medicine box. For higher-risk weight management treatments, additional verification procedures will routinely be undertaken prior to prescribing where appropriate. Enhanced consultation note templates will be utilised to ensure all verification checks, counselling, and prescribing rationale are fully documented. This is in addition to the face to face verification already being carried out as well as ID verification. The pharmacy will also strengthen independent medical history verification procedures where appropriate. This may include requesting patients to upload supporting evidence such as an NHS App medication record, current repeat prescription slip, copies of previous prescriptions, clinic letters, photographs of medicine packaging, or other relevant documentation to support prescribing decisions. Additional pharmacist-led follow-up questioning and manual review will also be undertaken where responses are unclear, inconsistent, or indicate increased clinical risk. |
19/06/2026 | |
| 1.6 | The pharmacy records that a video consultation has taken place when supplying weight loss medicines, but it does not record what was discussed during the consultation. So, the records do not fully reflect the clinical decision making that took place. It also does not record all the queries discussed with patients on the patient record, so important information may be missing and the rationale for decisions is not always clear. |
The pharmacy will introduce a more robust consultation note template within the patient medication record system to ensure that relevant clinical discussions and safety checks are documented contemporaneously. This will include structured headings for height verification, weight verification where applicable, advice provided, questions asked, and any other relevant clinical notes. Prescribers will receive additional guidance on maintaining clear and appropriate consultation records to support continuity of care and clinical decision making. |
19/06/2026 | 19/06/2026 |
| 1.6 | The pharmacy does not make the required entries for private prescriptions in a private prescription register, so it cannot demonstrate that it meets its legal record keeping obligations. |
A more robust private prescription register will be implemented within the pharmacy back-end system to ensure all legally required fields and record keeping requirements are completed consistently for all private prescriptions supplied. |
19/06/2026 | 19/06/2026 |
Pharmacy inspections
Inspection reports and learning from inspections