Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy which is based on a parade of shops in the Larkhall area of Bath. It serves its local population which is mostly elderly and affluent. The pharmacy opens six days a week. The pharmacy sells a range of over-the-counter medicines, dispenses NHS prescriptions, supplies medicines in multi-compartment compliance packs for people to use living in their own homes and flu vaccinations.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy has written procedures to help make sure the team works safely. But it is not clear that pharmacy team members record and review mistakes that happen and use this information and learning to avoid future mistakes. Pharmacy team members are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The pharmacy team do not keep and adequately maintain all of the records necessary for the safe provision of pharmacy services. The pharmacy asks its customers and staff for their views and uses this to help improve services. But it does not protect people’s confidential information adequately. The pharmacy has appropriate insurance to protect people when things do go wrong. But the pharmacy team could not adequately explain how they would protect children and vulnerable adults.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy's team members have the appropriate skills, qualifications and training to deliver services safely and effectively. The pharmacy team members work well together. They are comfortable about providing feedback and raising concerns and are involved in improving pharmacy services.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy generally provides a safe and appropriate environment for the provision of pharmacy services. But it does not adequately safeguard people’s private information. The pharmacy is secure and protected from unauthorised access.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy’s services are accessible, effectively managed and delivered safely. The pharmacy team helps people manage their high-risk medicines well. The pharmacy obtains and manages medicines safely and ensures that all of the medicines it supplies are fit for purpose. But medicines are stored in an area which is potentially accessible to people who are not pharmacy staff. The pharmacy team takes appropriate action where a medicine is not fit for purpose.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has access to the appropriate equipment and facilities needed to provide the services it offers. But the premises are not set up in a way that adequately protects people’s private 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.