Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 21/03/2024
Pharmacy context
This is an online pharmacy which people can access through the pharmacy's website or mobile application. It is situated in an industrial estate in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire. The pharmacy dispenses NHS prescriptions and sells over-the-counter medicines through its website. It also dispenses prescriptions for a variety of services, including NHS contracted services, weight loss services, and for medicines prescribed by its in-house prescribing service. Most of the medicines it supplies are delivered using a national courier. This was a targeted inspection specifically looking at how the pharmacy prescribed and supplied weight loss medicines. Weight loss medicines supplied against prescriptions issued by NHS contracted services, or CQC registered services, were not reviewed.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy uses written procedures to help make sure its services are provided effectively. It records and investigates when things go wrong to help identify learning. Members of the team keep the records that are needed by law. And they are given training so that they know how to keep private information safe. When the pharmacy prescribes weight-loss treatments it also sometimes prescribes other medicines to treat side-effects they may cause. But it does not have a clear policy about how or when these medicines should be prescribed. And the prescribers cannot show whether they are taking enough care to make sure the symptoms they are treating are side-effects and not more serious health conditions.
Principle 2. Staff
There are enough members of the team to manage the pharmacy's workload and they are suitably trained for the jobs they do. Members of the pharmacy team complete additional training to help them keep their knowledge up to date. Prescribers for the pharmacy's weight loss service receive specific training and review during their induction to provide assurance that they have the necessary competence.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy premises are suitable for the services provided. Information on the pharmacy’s website helps to inform people about who are providing the services.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy's services are accessible. And it manages and provides its weight loss services safely. It gets its medicines from licensed sources, stores them appropriately and carries out regular checks to help make sure that they are in good condition.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
Members of the pharmacy team have access to the equipment they need for the services they provide. And they maintain the equipment so that it is safe to use.
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 |