Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 19/06/2024
Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy situated in a residential area of Ascot. It is part of a small independent chain of pharmacies. The pharmacy mainly supplies NHS prescriptions, and it sells a small range of over‐the counter (OTC) medicines and other retail products. It provides some other NHS funded services including the New Medicines Service (NMS) and the Pharmacy First Service. And it offers seasonal covid and flu vaccinations.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
Overall, the pharmacy manages the risks associated with the services it provides. It keeps the records it needs to by law, and it protects people’s personal information. The team members understand their responsibilities in safeguarding children and vulnerable people. And the pharmacy has written procedures to make sure the team members know what is expected of them. But the pharmacy’s procedures are not always effectively utilised to make sure its team members always work in a safe and effective manner. And the pharmacy team does not always record and review its mistakes, so team members may miss additional opportunities to learn and improve.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough team members to provide the services that it offers, and the team works well together. The team are working under some pressure, so they do not always have enough time to complete non urgent and administrative tasks. And the pharmacy does not proactively support its team members to complete essential training. This means team members may delay developing the skills needed for their roles.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy is a suitable size for the services it provides. But the generally worn appearance detracts from the professional image. And the poor layout and lack of space in the dispensary makes the working environment challenging.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy’s services are suitably managed, so people receive appropriate care. It obtains its medicines from licensed suppliers and stores them appropriately. And it carries out checks to make sure they are safe to people to use. The team does not follow the correct procedure when completing some activities, which means it is not always working in the most effective manner.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment it needs for the services it provides. The team members 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 |