Pharmacy context
This pharmacy is located within a parade of shops in a residential area of West London. The pharmacy mainly serves the local community as well as tourists visiting the area. It dispenses NHS prescriptions received electronically as well as private prescriptions generated by its own pharmacist independent prescriber. It also provides medication in multi-compartment compliance packs to people who live in their own homes and need help managing their medicines.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy does not adequately manage the risks associated with its prescribing service. At the time of inspection, it did not have prescribing policies or risk assessments in place. And it does not carry out regular audits of its prescribing service. The pharmacy does not maintain sufficient records for its prescribing service. And it does not always protect people’s personal information, which may increase the likelihood of sharing sensitive information. Other than the prescribing
service, the pharmacy largely keeps the records it needs to by law. But it does
not always keep its written procedures easily available or ensure team members
are familiar with them. This could make it harder for staff to know what
procedures they should follow.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy cannot adequately demonstrate that its prescriber prescribes within their area of competence. However, the pharmacy has enough staff to provide its services. Team members complete some training as and when possible, but there is limited structure to their training. This may mean that it is harder for them to keep their skills and knowledge up to date and relevant. And the pharmacy does not always ensure that members of the team are enrolled onto a suitable course in a timely manner.
Principle 3. Premises
The premises are generally clean and maintained to a level of hygiene appropriate for the pharmacy’s services. People can have a conversation with a team member in a private area. But space in the pharmacy is limited. And the pharmacy could do more to keep all areas tidy and free from unnecessary clutter.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy does not always provide its services safely. It does not keep appropriate consultation notes for its prescribing service, and it does not have robust processes in place for its prescribing service and for the supply of higher-risk medicines. The pharmacy does not
always store its prescription-only medicines securely. It obtains its medicines from reputable suppliers. But it does not always ensure they are labelled appropriately. This may make it harder for the team to respond to product recalls.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment and facilities it needs to provide its services safely.
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.