Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy in a largely residential area of Hove. It mainly offers NHS services such as dispensing. And it assembles medicines into multi-compartment compliance packs for some people who need this level of support. It delivers medicines to some people in their own homes. And it offers a prescribing service both onsite and via its website. It provides other services such as a travel clinic and ear wax removal. Enforcement action has been taken against this pharmacy, which remains in force at the time of this inspection, and there are restrictions on the provision of some services. The enforcement action taken allows the pharmacy to continue providing other services, which are not affected by the restrictions imposed. The inspection was undertaken over two days, on 21 and 23 August 2023.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy does not adequately identify and manage the risks associated with its services, particularly its face-to-face and online prescribing services. It cannot sufficiently demonstrate that it monitors the safety and quality of its prescribing service, for example by undertaking and documenting regular clinical audits. Its consultation notes for this service do not always contain the relevant information. However, otherwise the pharmacy generally keeps the records it needs to, and largely protects people’s personal information. Team members know how to safeguard the welfare of a vulnerable person. And people using the pharmacy can provide feedback and raise concerns.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough trained team members to keep up to date with its workload. Staff do some ongoing training to help keep their knowledge and skills up to date. And they feel comfortable about raising any concerns.
Principle 3. Premises
The premises are generally clean and tidy, and they are secure from unauthorised access when closed. People can have a conversation with a team member in a private area.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
There are some issues as described under Principle 1 about the pharmacy’s prescribing service, but on the whole the pharmacy provides its other services safely. People can access the pharmacy’s services. Team members take the right action in response to drug alerts and recalls. The pharmacy gets its medicines from reputable sources and generally stores them properly. But it does not always remove date-expired medicines from stock in a timely way. So, this may increase the chance that people receive a medicine which is not suitable to use.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment it needs for its services. And it uses its equipment in a way which helps protect people’s personal 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 does 'pharmacy has not met all standards' mean?
When a pharmacy has not met all standards, they are required to complete an improvement action plan, which you can find via a link at the top left of this page. We monitor progress to check the improvements are made and inspect again after six months to make sure the pharmacy is maintaining these improvements. A new report will then be published.