Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 15/04/2019
Pharmacy context
An independent pharmacy located in a residential area of Harrow, London. The pharmacy provides services to a diverse local population. The pharmacy has been owned by the Superintendent for about 30 years and she regularly works there. The pharmacy dispenses prescriptions, prepares monitored dosage system trays for patients in their homes and for a care home, supervises consumption of methadone and buprenorphine, provides a needle exchange service, a seasonal flu vaccination service and a delivery service.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
Overall, the pharmacy manages risks well. Team members log errors and near misses, they learn from these and act to avoid problems being repeated. The pharmacy keeps up-to-date records as required by law. The team members have all received formal training on protecting patient information and team members understand how to protect vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough staff to provide its services safely. Team members have access to training to ensure that they have the skills they need and the pharmacy encourages this training. Pharmacy team members make decisions and use their professional judgement to help people. Team members can share information and raise concerns to keep the pharmacy safe.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy is safe, clean, and suitable for delivery of its services. Pharmacy team members use a private room for some conversations with people. The pharmacy is secure when closed.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy services are accessible to people with different requirements. The pharmacy team provides safe services and provides people with information to help them use their medicines. The pharmacy team identifies people on high risk medicines and makes sure they are provided with appropriate information. The pharmacy gets medicines from reliable sources, and stores them properly. The pharmacy team knows what to do if medicines are not fit for purpose.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment it needs for the delivery of its services. It looks after this equipment to ensure it works and is accurate.
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 |