Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 15/08/2019
Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy in a suburban town on the outskirts of Nottingham. The pharmacy sells over-the-counter medicines and it dispenses NHS, private and veterinary prescriptions. It provides some of its services at a distance through its website. It offers a wide range of on-site services including remote access to consultations with a private doctor, and travel health services. And it is a registered Yellow Fever vaccination Centre (YFVC). The pharmacy also offers advice on the management of minor illnesses and long-term conditions. It supplies medicines in multi-compartmental compliance packs, designed to help people remember to take their medicines. And it delivers medicines to people’s homes and three local care homes.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy’s working practices are safe and effective. It responds appropriately to people who raise concerns and provide feedback about its services. And its team have the necessary knowledge to recognise and report concerns to protect the welfare of vulnerable people. Pharmacy team members discuss mistakes they make during the dispensing process. And they use these discussions to reduce risk. The pharmacy has some systems in place to manage confidential information. And it acts quickly to manage any identified risks relating to confidentiality. The pharmacy generally keeps the records it must by law up to date. But some gaps in these records may result in inaccurate and incomplete audit trails. It has some procedures for supporting its team in delivering its services. But these procedures do not extend to all services provided. This could make it difficult for the pharmacy to demonstrate how all team members work to the same standards.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough skilled and knowledgeable people working to provide its services and to manage its workload effectively. The pharmacy promotes openness and it has appropriate feedback mechanisms in place for its team. Pharmacy team members engage in regular conversations relating to risk management and safety. And they are supported through mandatory training for their roles. But the pharmacy does not adopt formal systems for recording outcomes of patient safety discussions or for the learning and development needs of its team members. This may mean there are some missed opportunities to share learning.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy is clean, secure and maintained to the standards required. The pharmacy team has access to facilities which allow people using the pharmacy to speak to a member of the team or have a consultation with a doctor in private.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy offers a good range of services and these are fully accessible to people. It obtains its medicines from reputable sources. And it stores and manages them appropriately to help make sure they are safe to use. It has some systems in place to provide assurance that its medicines are fit for purpose. The pharmacy works effectively to manage the risks associated with providing its services and its workload is generally well organised. It has systems in place to make sure people get the right medicines at the right time. But it doesn’t always supply patient information leaflets when dispensing medicines in multi-compartmental compliance packs to people living in their own homes. This could mean that people do not have all the information they require to assist them managing their own medication.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy team has access to all the equipment it needs for providing its services. It uses this equipment in a way which protects people’s confidentiality. The pharmacy has some monitoring systems in place for its equipment and it replaces equipment at regular intervals.
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 |