Pharmacy context
This pharmacy's main activity is the automated dispensing of a large number of NHS prescriptions. It shares this activity with its sister pharmacy in Leeds, with most of the clinical oversight taking place at the other location. People do not visit the pharmacy; the pharmacy delivers medicines to people's homes across the UK using a UK-wide postal delivery company. And it also sells over-the-counter medicines through a separate website.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
Overall, the pharmacy identifies and manages the risks associated with the provision of its services. Its innovative automated systems reduce the risk of dispensing errors. And the pharmacy routinely records, reviews, and learns from its mistakes. It uses the information from these reviews to raise awareness with team members and to support their knowledge and understanding. It implements comprehensive changes to processes to support the safe delivery of pharmacy services when it identifies patterns with errors. And senior members of the pharmacy team proactively review all errors. Its team members have defined roles and accountabilities. And the pharmacy manages people’s personal information safely. However the pharmacy has not mitigated all the risks of selling certain over-the-counter medicines. So, some people may be able to get medicines which are not suitable for them.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy’s team members manage the day‐to‐day workload within the pharmacy effectively. They are mainly suitably trained for the roles they undertake. And team members can raise concerns if needed.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy keeps its premises safe, secure, and appropriately maintained. The pharmacy’s websites are clearly laid out with appropriate information available.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy's healthcare services are suitably managed and are accessible to people. The pharmacy uses advanced robotic systems to reduce the risks of dispensing errors occurring and actively reviews processes to drive improvement. The pharmacy gets its medicines and medical devices from reputable sources. It stores them safely and it knows the right actions to take if medicines or devices are not safe to use to protect people’s health and wellbeing.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has a range of equipment that is well maintained to help ensure it supplies medicines safely and effectively. And its systems suitably protect 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 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 |