Pharmacy context
The pharmacy is next to a medical practice in Taunton. It sells over-the-counter medicines and dispenses NHS and private prescriptions. The pharmacy team offers advice to people about minor illnesses and long-term conditions. The pharmacy offers services including flu vaccinations, the NHS New Medicine Service (NMS) and the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS). The pharmacy measures people’s blood pressure as part of the NHS Hypertension Case Finding Service. The pharmacy supplies medicines in multi-compartment compliance packs to people who need help to remember when to take them. And it delivers medicines to people’s homes. The pharmacy also dispenses medicines to people who live in care homes.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy generally provides its services safely and effectively. But the pharmacy does not keep all the records required by law and does not have good governance procedures for the management of controlled drugs. The pharmacy has written procedures in place to help ensure that its team members work safely. And these procedures are reviewed and updated regularly. Team members record any mistakes they make and review them to identify the cause. The pharmacy team then makes the necessary changes to stop mistakes from happening again. The pharmacy asks people for their feedback on its services and responds appropriately. It has the required insurance in place to cover its services. And it keeps all the records required by law. The pharmacy keeps people’s private information safe. Pharmacy team members know how to protect the safety of vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy employs enough people to manage its workload. Team members are trained to deliver their roles and keep their skills up to date by completing regular learning activities. They are confident to suggest and make changes to the way they work to improve their services. Team members communicate effectively. And they work well together to deliver the pharmacy’s services.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy's premises provide an appropriate environment from which to deliver its services. And its premises are suitably clean and secure. People using the pharmacy can have conversations with team members in a private area.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy team make sure that people with different needs can access its various services. The pharmacy supplies medicines safely to people with appropriate advice to ensure they are used correctly. Team members take steps to identify people prescribed high-risk medicines to ensure that they are given additional information. The pharmacy obtains its medicines from reputable suppliers. It generally stores them securely and makes regular checks to ensure that they are still suitable for supply. The pharmacy accepts unwanted medicines and disposes of them appropriately.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the appropriate equipment and facilities to provide its services. It keeps these clean, tidy and well-maintained. The pharmacy uses its equipment in a way that protects people’s confidential information.
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.