Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 18/02/2020
Pharmacy context
This is a busy community pharmacy situated in central London close to Victoria station. People who visit the pharmacy usually live or work locally, but it is also frequented by tourists. The pharmacy dispenses prescriptions and sells a range of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and health and beauty products. It supplies some medicines in multi-compartment compliance aid packs, to help make sure people take them at the right time, and it has a home delivery service. The pharmacy provides several other services including substance misuse treatment and needle exchange, smoking cessation, New Medicine Service (NMS) and the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS). The pharmacy also offers Lipotrim weight loss, seasonal flu vaccinations and it has a travel clinic. It works in association with CityDoc offering vaccinations, and sexual health and blood testing. And it offers on site private GP consultations with Medicspot. An independent osteopath clinic operates in the pharmacy’s basement; this service was not inspected.
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy manages the risks associated with its services reasonably well, and the team takes action to improve patient safety. It keeps people’s information safe and it maintains the records it needs to by law. The pharmacy team members understand how they can help to protect the welfare of vulnerable people. And the pharmacy has written procedures to make sure the team works safely. But team members do not always receive training on these procedures, so they might not always work effectively or fully understand their responsibilities.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy team members have the right qualifications for the jobs they do, and they get some ongoing training to help them keep up to date. The team members work well together, and they are comfortable providing feedback to their managers.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy premises are clean and provide a safe, secure and professional environment for people to receive healthcare services from. It has a private consultation room, so members of the public can have confidential conversations and maintain their privacy.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy offers a wide range of healthcare services which are easy for people to access. Its working practices are generally safe and effective, so people receive appropriate care. The pharmacy stores its medicines appropriately and the team carries out some checks to make sure they are in good condition and suitable to supply.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
Members of the pharmacy team have the equipment and facilities they need for the services they provide. Equipment is appropriately maintained so that it is safe to use, and team members use it in a way that protects people’s privacy.
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 |