Allied Pharmacy Holmleigh ParadeGPhC

Pharmacy context

This is a community pharmacy in a residential shopping area in the southern suburbs of the city of Gloucester. Most people who use the pharmacy are elderly or mothers with young children. The pharmacy dispenses NHS and private prescriptions and sells over-the-counter medicines. It also supplies medicines in multi-compartment compliance aids to help vulnerable people in their own homes to take their medicines.

Standards by principle

• Principle 1 – Governance

  Standards met

  The pharmacy’s working practices are generally safe and effective. The pharmacy is appropriately insured to protect people if things go wrong. The pharmacy team members keep people’s private information safe and they know how to protect vulnerable people. But, they could learn more from mistakes to prevent them from happening again and they could be better at keeping the up-to-date records that they must by law.

• Principle 2 – Staff

  Standards met

  The pharmacy has enough staff to manage its workload safely. The team members are encouraged to keep their skills up to date and they do this in work time. The pharmacy team are well supported by their manager. They are comfortable about providing feedback to her and she actively supports team members to further their learning.

• Principle 3 – Premises

  Standards met

  The pharmacy generally looks professional. The consultation room is signposted so it is clear to people that there is somewhere private for them to talk. But, the room is small and the door opens inwards. This may hamper access by the emergency services if someone had to be placed in the recovery position on the floor.

• Principle 4 – Services

  Standards met

  All people can access the services offered by the pharmacy. The services are generally effectively managed to make sure that they are provided safely. The pharmacy team members make sure that people get the information that they need to use their medicines properly. And, they intervene if they are worried about anyone. The pharmacy gets its medicines from appropriate sources. But, it has a lot of stock. And, some of this is not stored tidily which could increase the risk of picking the wrong medicine and a subsequent mistake. The pharmacy team members make sure that people only get medicines or devices that are safe. But, they could be better at recording this.

• Principle 5 – Equipment

  Standards met

  The pharmacy has the appropriate equipment for the services it provides. And, the team members make sure that it is clean and fit-for-purpose. But, the company’s new procedures for the storage of assembled medicines, is placing the storage facilities under pressure.

Inspection history summary