Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 11/07/2019
Pharmacy context
This is a traditional community pharmacy located in a residential area on the outskirts of the town centre. It is close to a medical practice and NHS dispensing is the main activity. Some people receive their medicines in multi-compartment compliance aids to help them remember to take them at the right time. The compliance aids are assembled at a different pharmacy, under a ‘hub and spoke’ arrangement. The previous pharmacist manager had left in March 2019 since when the pharmacy had been reliant on relief pharmacists and locums. The locum pharmacist at the time of inspection was working at the pharmacy for the first time.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy has written procedures to help staff work safely and effectively. Members of the team record their mistakes so that they can learn from them. But the records are not always reviewed, so the team may miss some learning opportunities. The pharmacy keeps the records that are required by law. And staff receive training so that they know how to keep confidential information safe.
Principle 2. Staff
There are enough staff to safely manage the workload and they are appropriately trained for the jobs they do. But the pharmacy does not have a manager, so the team lacks leadership.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy is generally clean and tidy and provides a suitable environment for healthcare. But the toilet area is very cluttered which makes it difficult to use.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy’s services are easy to access, and they are generally well managed. But members of
the pharmacy team do not always know when high‐risk medicines are being handed out. So they may
not always make extra checks or give people advice about how to take them. The pharmacy gets its medicines from appropriate sources and keeps them safely. And it carries out regular checks to make sure they are kept in good condition.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment it needs for the services it provides.
What do the inspection outcomes mean?
After an inspection each pharmacy receives one overall outcome. This will be either Standards met or Standards not all met
| The pharmacy has met all the standards for registered pharmacies | |
| The pharmacy has not met one or more of the standards for registered pharmacies |
What do the summary findings for each principle mean?
The standards for registered pharmacies are made up of five principles. The pharmacy will also receive one of four possible findings for each of these principles. These are:
| The pharmacy delivers an innovative service and benefits the whole community and performs well against the standards | |
| The pharmacy delivers positive outcomes for patients and performs well against most of the standards | |
| The pharmacy meets all the standards | |
| The pharmacy has not met one or more standards |