GPhC launches pharmacy inspections report site

The public can now see pharmacy inspection reports online after the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) launched its publication site in a bid to improve standards of safe and effective care.

The new pharmacy inspections site has been designed so that members of the public can easily find information about the pharmacies they use.

They will be able to see if a pharmacy inspected since April 2019 has met or has not met all of the standards for registered pharmacies. They can also see how well a pharmacy is performing against five principles which include governance, staff, premises, services and equipment and facilities.

The new site also features an online ‘knowledge hub’ for the pharmacy team, with examples of excellent, good and poor practice identified through pharmacy inspections.

Jasmine Shah, Head of Advice and Support Services, at the NPA said: “This brings pharmacy into line with most other public services and public expectations.  Patients now have access to more information to help them make informed choices about their pharmaceutical care.

“It’s encouraging that nearly nine in ten pharmacies met all the standards set by the regulator. Most of the pharmacies rated excellent since 2013 are independent pharmacies, which indicates that independents are prepared to go the extra mile to provide great service to their patients. What we would like to see is consistently high quality care in all pharmacies.

“The GPhC analysis shows that investing in staff is a key driver of performance against the standards. The NPA offers flexible learning options to suit training needs. Go to www.npa.co.uk/learning-and-development for more information.”

More information about the GPhC’s approach to inspecting registered pharmacies can be found here: https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/inspecting-registered-pharmacies