Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 20/05/2022
Pharmacy context
The pharmacy offers services to people through the websites - www.healthexpress.co.uk and www.onlineclinic.co.uk. It doesn’t provide any NHS services. And people who use it aren’t allowed to visit its premises in person. The websites allow people to access a prescribing service which offers prescription medicines for a wide range of conditions. The prescribing service is mainly provided by doctors registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) and is regulated and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The pharmacy mostly supplies medicines to people living in the United Kingdom (UK). But it supplies some medicines to people living outside of the UK too. The inspection took place during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy generally manages its risks. And it mostly has the procedures it needs to help its team work safely. Members of the pharmacy team know what they can and can’t do, what they’re responsible for and when they might seek help. They adequately review the safety of the services they deliver. They understand their role in protecting vulnerable people. And they keep people’s private information safe. People using the pharmacy can provide feedback to help improve its services. And the pharmacy keeps the records it needs to by law.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough people in its team to deliver safe and effective care. Members of the pharmacy team undergo training for the jobs they do. They’re comfortable about giving feedback on how to improve the pharmacy and its services. They know how to raise a concern if they have one. And their professional judgement and patient safety are not affected by targets.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy provides an adequate environment to deliver it services from. Its premises are clean and secure. And the websites it uses meet the GPhC’s guidance.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy provides its services at a distance. But people can access these easily. The pharmacy uses a courier to deliver prescription medicines to people. And it keeps records showing the right medicine is delivered to the right person. The pharmacy generally has working practices that are safe and effective. But its team sometimes misses opportunities to make sure people get the most suitable treatment. The pharmacy gets its medicines from reputable sources. And it stores them appropriately and securely. Members of the pharmacy team mostly dispose of unwanted medicines properly. And they carry out the checks they need to. So, they can make sure the pharmacy’s medicines are safe and fit for purpose.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment and the facilities it needs to provide its services safely. And it uses its equipment to make sure people’s data is kept secure.
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 |