Sacriston Pharmacy (9011143)

Inspection summary findings

Principle 1. Governance

The pharmacy has processes and written procedures that the team members follow to help them work safely and effectively. The pharmacy team members have a clear understanding of their roles and tasks. The pharmacy keeps all the records as required by law, in compliance with standards and procedures. And it provides people using the pharmacy with the opportunity to feedback on its services. The pharmacy team members look after people’s private information. And they have the knowledge required to recognise and report a concern to help safeguard the wellbeing of vulnerable people. They record, report and learn from errors and mistakes made during the dispensing procedure. But on occasions the information they record lacks detail. So, the pharmacy team members may be missing some opportunities to improve.

Principle 2. Staff

The pharmacy has a small team. And the pharmacist and team members suitably provide the pharmacy’s services. The pharmacy team members understand their roles and responsibilities in providing services. They support each other in their day-to-day work. And they feel comfortable raising any concerns they have. The pharmacy’s team members work under supervision during formal training. And they receive good support when they start working in the pharmacy. Pharmacy team members complete some further ongoing training on an ad-hoc basis. But the pharmacy does not record this training. So, it may be difficult to identify opportunities to ensure the team complete learning to develop their skills and knowledge.

Principle 3. Premises

The pharmacy's premises are of a suitable size for the services it provides. The pharmacy is closed to the public for dispensing services and other essential services. But people can attend the pharmacy in person for the NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS). And the pharmacy has a dedicated room for the consultation. The pharmacy is clean and secure.

Principle 4. Services, including medicines management

The pharmacy’s services are available to people at a distance. And the pharmacy provides suitable access for people to obtain advice and resolve any queries. The pharmacy provides its services using a range of safe working practices. It takes the right action if it receives any alerts that a medicine is no longer safe to use. The pharmacy team members take steps to identify people taking some high-risk medicines. And they provide these people with extra advice to help them take their medicines safely. The pharmacy team members support some people to manage taking their medicines by dispensing medicines into multi-compartment compliance packs. The team manages this service well. It mostly stores and manages its medicines appropriately.

Principle 5. Equipment and facilities

The pharmacy has the equipment and facilities it needs for the pharmacy services it provides. And it manages equipment and facilities in a way to maintain people’s privacy.