Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 18/07/2024
Pharmacy context
The pharmacy provides a homecare medicines service which involves delivering ongoing medicine supplies direct to people’s homes. The majority of the treatments are initially prescribed by hospital prescribers. Some aspects of the service, for example nursing care, are not regulated by GPhC. Therefore, we have only reported on the registerable services provided by the pharmacy. The pharmacy is located in a purpose-built industrial unit and the premises is not open to the public. This inspection is one of a series of inspections we have carried out as part of a thematic review of homecare services in pharmacy. We will also publish a thematic report of our overall findings across all of the pharmacies we inspected. Homecare pharmacies provide specialised services that differ from the typical services provided by traditional community pharmacies. Therefore, we have made our judgements by comparing performance between the homecare pharmacies we have looked at. This means that, in some instances, systems and procedures that may have been identified as good in other settings have not been identified as such because they are standard practice within the homecare sector. However, general good practice we have identified will be highlighted in our thematic report.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy effectively manages the risks associated with its services to make sure people receive appropriate care. It uses regular audits and risk assessments to review its services and improve the way the pharmacy operates. Members of the pharmacy team follow written procedures to help them work effectively. They record their mistakes so that they can learn from them. And they make changes to stop the same sort of mistakes from happening again. There are clear safeguarding procedures in place and the team understands its responsibilities to keep vulnerable people safe.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough suitably trained and qualified team members to manage the workload and the services that it provides. It considers staffing levels as part of future workload planning and completes recruitment and training before any additional work is undertaken. The team members work well together in a supportive environment, and they are encouraged and empowered to make suggestions.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy provides a safe and appropriate environment for the provision of its services. The premises 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 obtains, stores, and manages medicines safely and ensures that all of the medicines it supplies are fit for purpose. The pharmacy team takes appropriate action where a medicine is not fit for purpose. And members of the pharmacy team give people the support and information they need to use their medicines safely.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has access to the equipment and facilities it requires to provide its services safely. It appropriately maintains its equipment and it has suitable service arrangements to help make sure its equipment remains fit for purpose.
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 |