Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 20/07/2023
Pharmacy context
This pharmacy is in a suburb of Gateshead. Its main activities are dispensing NHS prescriptions and selling over-the-counter medicines. The pharmacy supplies several people with their medicines in multi-compartment compliance packs to help them take their medicines properly. And it delivers medicines to many people’s homes. The pharmacy offers other NHS services including the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) and a smoking cessation service. It also provides a private ear wax removal service.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy suitably identifies and manages the risks associated with all its services. It has up-to-date written procedures that the pharmacy team follows. It completes the records it needs to by law and it protects people’s private information properly. The pharmacy encourages people to provide feedback on its services and team members suitably reply to comments raised by people. They respond correctly when errors occur and they take appropriate action to prevent future mistakes.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has a team with an appropriate range of experience and skills to safely provide its services. Team members work well together, and they are good at supporting each other in their day-to-day work. They discuss ideas to enhance the safe delivery of the pharmacy’s services. Team members have opportunities to receive feedback and complete training so they can suitably develop their skills and knowledge.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy is clean, secure and suitable for the services it provides. It has appropriate facilities to meet the needs of people requiring privacy when using the pharmacy services.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy actively promotes the services it provides to help people meet their healthcare needs. Team members manage the pharmacy services well to help make sure people receive medicines when they need them. And they use technology to support them to deliver the pharmacy services safely and effectively. Team members store medicines properly and they complete regular checks to make sure medicines are in good condition and suitable to supply.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment it needs to provide safe services and it has appropriate systems in place to ensure its equipment is fit for purpose. The pharmacy uses its facilities to suitably protect people’s private information.
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 |