Inspection outcome: Standards met
Last inspection: 23/01/2020
Pharmacy context
This is an independent community pharmacy located alongside other local shops in a village near Maidenhead. It has been under the same ownership for more than 30 years. The pharmacy mainly supplies NHS prescriptions and sells a limited range of over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and household items. The pharmacy supplies medicines to a local care home and some people receive their medicines in multi-compartment compliance packs to help make sure they take them at the correct time. It offers a home delivery service and a range of other NHS services including the New Medicine Service (NMS) and the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS).
Inspection summary findings
Principle 1. Governance
The pharmacy’s working practices are reasonably safe and effective. It keeps the records it needs to by law and people can give feedback or make a complaint about its services. The team members follow written instructions to make sure they work safely. They understand how to protect people’s private information, and to safeguard and support vulnerable people.
Principle 2. Staff
The pharmacy has a small close-knit team. The absence of additional support staff means the team has little time to complete non urgent tasks such as housekeeping. And the lack of staff management processes such as induction procedures or training programmes means any new staff working at the pharmacy might not acquire all the necessary skills.
Principle 3. Premises
The pharmacy premises are suitable for the services it provides. But the generally worn appearance
and lack of organisation and housekeeping detracts from the overall professional image, and makes the working environment challenging.
Principle 4. Services, including medicines management
The pharmacy generally manages it services safely, so people receive appropriate care. It sources medicines from licensed suppliers, and team members complete checks to make sure they are in good condition and suitable to supply. But stock medicines are sometimes disorganised, and waste medicines are not always managed effectively, which could mean they are not always selected or handled correctly.
Principle 5. Equipment and facilities
The pharmacy has the equipment that it needs to provide its services. The team stores and uses the equipment 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 |