Inspection outcome: Standards not all met
Last inspection: 31/08/2023
Pharmacy context
This community pharmacy is in a residential area of Birmingham. It dispenses NHS prescriptions to local people in the area which it mainly receives from several nearby GP surgeries. The pharmacy has a few people who receive instalment supplies for substance misuse treatment. And it has a handful of people in the community who receive medicines in multi-compartment compliance packs to aid compliance.This was a targeted inspection which did not look at all of the Standards for registered premises. The visit was carried out jointly by the inspector and a Controlled Drug Liaison Officer (CDLO). Enforcement action has been taken against this pharmacy, which remains in force at the time of this inspection. There are restrictions on the provision of some services. The enforcement action taken allows the pharmacy to continue providing other services, which are not affected by the restrictions imposed.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy does not adequately manage all the risks associated with its services. It does not keep all its records up to date and accurate, or make records within the time required by law. So, these may not be reliable if they need to be referred to in the future. And the pharmacy may not be able to investigate any anomalies fully or promptly. However, the pharmacy keeps people’s private information securely and it has procedures to safeguard vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has staff to provide its services. But it is not always able to provide full cover for staff absences, so it may be harder for the team to keep up to date with its workload.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy’s premises are adequate for the services it provides. And they are kept secure from unauthorised access when they are closed.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy does not always store all its medicines appropriately or in an organised manner. And some are not kept in their manufacturer’s original packaging. This increases the chances of the pharmacy supplying an incorrect medicine or a medicine that is not safe or fit for purpose. However, people with different needs can access the pharmacy’s services. And the pharmacy gets its medicines from recognised suppliers. But it could do more to make sure people who receive their medicines in multi-compartment compliance pack have all the information they need to take their medicines safely.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment and facilities it needs to provide its services adequately.
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.