Pharmacy context
This extended hours pharmacy is situated in a parade of shops on a main road. It mainly dispenses NHS prescriptions and supplies a large number of people their medicines in multi‐compartment compliance packs to help them manage their treatment. The pharmacy provides other NHS services such as Pharmacy First, substance misuse treatments, flu vaccinations and the hypertension case screening. It also has a home delivery service.This was a reinspection following an inspection in September 2024 where the pharmacy did not meet Standards 1.1, 4.2 and 4.3. This inspection primarily focused on those Standards which had previously not been met. Overall, the pharmacy had made some improvements to its procedures to help make sure people receive their prescription medication safely. The pharmacy has reviewed its written procedures including its multi-compartment compliance pack procedures, and it has installed facilities to help make sure it complies with medicine stock storage legislation. However, the pharmacy needs to make further improvements, including making sure that all its team members are familiar with its updated procedures, and it should review how it stores semi-prepared compliance packs.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy does not appropriately identify and mitigate the risks associated with its services. Its team members are not all familiar with its written procedures and they do not always follow them. And procedures are not available for some of the tasks that team members complete. It generally keeps the records it needs to keep by law, and they are kept accurate and up to date. The pharmacy team knows how to help protect the welfare of vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has enough team members to manage its workload safely when all team members are present. And they work effectively together and support each other. Its team members are able to discuss pharmacy related issues as they arise, and they receive support with their training courses.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy's premises are
generally clean, secure and provide an appropriate environment to deliver its
services safely. People can have a discrete conversation with a team member in
a private consultation room. However, team members store baskets on the floor which
can create a trip hazard.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy does not
always provide its services safely. It does not have written procedures in
place for all the services it provides. And its team members do not always
refer to the prescription when they are dispensing compliance packs. This could
increase the risk that a mistake is made. The pharmacy does not always keep its
medicines secure or store them properly. However, team members take appropriate
action in response to safety alerts.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
Members of the pharmacy team have access to the equipment and facilities they need for the services they provide. The pharmacy uses its equipment to help protect people’s personal 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 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.