Pharmacy context
This is a community pharmacy located below a GP surgery in a residential area in the centre of Bath. It serves its local population which is mostly elderly and affluent. The pharmacy opens 5 days a week. The pharmacy sells a range of over-the-counter medicines, dispenses NHS prescriptions, provides vaccination services and supplies medicines in multi-compartment medicine devices for people to use living in their own homes.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy has some written procedures to help make sure the team works safely. But it is not clear that staff understand these and they are not always followed. Pharmacy team members record some mistakes that happen. But it is not clear that mistakes are analysed and investigated thoroughly and communicated to the pharmacy team which could mean that opportunities for learning are missed. Pharmacy team members are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The pharmacy asks its customers and staff for their views and uses this to improve services. It generally manages and protect people’s confidential information well and it tells people how their private information will be used. The pharmacy generally maintains all the records that it must keep by law. However, some details were missing from its records. This means the pharmacy may not have a complete audit trail or be able to show exactly what has happened if any problems arise.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy staff have the appropriate skills, qualifications and training to deliver services safely and effectively. There are not enough staff to provide services and maintain governance procedures effectively. The pharmacy team provide feedback and raise concerns about pharmacy services, but it is not clear that these are listened to and acted on.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy provides a safe and appropriate environment for the provision of pharmacy services. The pharmacy team protect private information and the pharmacy is secure and protected from unauthorised access.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
Pharmacy services are accessible to patients but not always effectively managed. The pharmacy team regularly falls behind on its governance procedures and dispensing activity. Its pharmaceutical stock is generally appropriately obtained, stored and supplied.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has access to the appropriate equipment and facilities to provide the services offered. These are used in a way that helps protect patient confidentiality and dignity.
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.