Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 15/07/2019
Pharmacy context
An independent pharmacy located on a busy high street in Edgware, London, serving a diverse and multi-ethnic community. The pharmacy dispenses prescriptions and provides Medicines Use Reviews (MURs), the New Medicine Service (NMS), and multi-compartment compliance aids for patients in their own homes. The pharmacy also has an online business on the same premises selling fragrances.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
Overall, the pharmacy’s working practices are safe. However, the pharmacy does not record incidents in much detail, so they may be missing opportunities to prevent similar mistakes happening in future. The pharmacy keeps most records it needs to by law. But the responsible pharmacist record is not kept up to date meaning it is difficult to identify who the pharmacist was on a day. The team do not always record the fridge temperatures and so the quality of refrigerated medicines cannot always be guaranteed. The pharmacy keeps people’s information safe and team members help to protect vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough staff to provide its services safely. Team members have access to training materials to ensure that they have the skills they need. Pharmacy team members make decisions and use their professional judgement to help people. Team members can share information and raise concerns to keep the pharmacy safe.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy's premises are generally suitable for the provision of its services and they are secure when closed. Pharmacy team members use a private room for sensitive conversations with people to protect their privacy.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy services are accessible to people with different needs. Generally, the pharmacy team provides safe services and provides people with information to help them use their medicines. Although they do not always record relevant safety checks when people receive higher-risk medicines. This makes it difficult for them to show that they provide the appropriate advice when they supply these medicines. The pharmacy gets medicines from reputable sources. But the pharmacy could do more to ensure stock medicines are stored in appropriately labelled containers. The pharmacy team knows what to do if medicines are not fit for purpose.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the appropriate equipment and facilities to provide its services safely. These are clean and fit for purpose.
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 |