Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 12/06/2024
Pharmacy context
This is a private pharmacy in the centre of Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The pharmacy has its own clinic and prescribing service which is provided by a pharmacist independent prescriber. It subsequently only dispenses private prescriptions and provides private services. This includes specialising in and supplying specific treatments for hair loss. The pharmacy also manufactures and supplies unlicensed topical hair loss products through the prescribing service. The pharmacy does not provide any surgical treatments, but it can offer collagen induction therapy (microneedling). And it has its own website (https://hairologycentre.com/).
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy has organised and efficient processes in place. The pharmacy’s business model involves prescribing, preparing, and mainly supplying unlicensed medicines. This has additional associated risks, but the pharmacy identifies and appropriately manages them. It has written procedures to help provide suitable guidance. And the pharmacy routinely shares information about a person’s treatment with their usual prescriber. This helps to ensure they are aware of people’s prescribed medicine(s) through the pharmacy’s services. The pharmacy keeps people’s confidential information safe. Members of the pharmacy team understand safeguarding requirements. And the pharmacy’s records are comprehensive. But the team could do more to independently verify the identity of people who use their services.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough staff to manage the pharmacy’s services safely and effectively. The prescriber is suitably qualified and experienced to prescribe in his respective role. And he ensures his knowledge is kept current by completing relevant ongoing training.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy premises provide a suitable environment to deliver healthcare services from. The pharmacy is professional in appearance, kept clean and tidy. And it has enough space to provide its services.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
Overall, the pharmacy has safe working practices. The pharmacy maintains suitable records to show that appropriate checks are undertaken about the medicines it prescribes and supplies. And the pharmacy follows up to monitor people who receive treatment. The pharmacy's services are easily accessible to people. The pharmacy sources its medicines from reputable suppliers. It stores and generally manages its medicines correctly. But the pharmacy doesn’t always follow all the guidance set by the GPhC when it prepares unlicensed medicines. This limits its ability to show that it provides this service appropriately.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the relevant equipment it needs to provide its services safely and effectively. The equipment is new and maintained appropriately. The pharmacy’s equipment and surfaces are kept clean. And some equipment helps provide the required level of technical expertise. This assists in providing additional assurance to people using the pharmacy’s services.
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 |