Stanley PharmacyGPhC

Pharmacy context

This is a busy town centre pharmacy on the main pedestrianised street running through Stanley in County Durham. It dispenses people’s prescriptions, sells over-the-counter medicines and offers health advice. It provides a very wide selection of other health-related services such as the NHS Pharmacy First service and an anticoagulant clinic. It delivers people’s prescriptions if they can’t visit the pharmacy in person. The pharmacy also supplies some medicines in multi-compartment compliance aids to people who may find it difficult to manage their medicines.

Standards by principle

• Principle 1 – Governance

  Standards met

  The pharmacy provides its team members with clear written instructions on how to carry out their tasks safely and effectively. It is good at ensuring they understand how to carry out those tasks. It makes sure they are clear about their roles and responsibilities. And they work to professional standards, identifying and managing risks effectively. The pharmacy regularly reviews the mistakes its team members make and takes appropriate action to reduce the chances of similar mistakes happening again. It also communicates effectively with all involved so that everyone knows what is being done. It keeps all the records that it should, making sure they are easily accessible. Its team members have a good understanding of their role in helping protect vulnerable people. The pharmacy manages and protects confidential information well and tells people how their private information will be used.

• Principle 2 – Staff

  Good practice

  The pharmacy has plenty of staff to manage its workload safely and effectively. Pharmacy team members are well-trained and have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They communicate effectively and make sure they all stay up to date. The pharmacy gives them plenty of support with their professional development. They work well together and can make suggestions to improve safety where appropriate.

• Principle 3 – Premises

  Standards met

  The pharmacy’s premises provide a secure and professional environment for people to receive its services. The team keeps them clean and tidy, presenting a suitably professional image. The pharmacy makes effective use of its entire premises, completing different types of work in different rooms. The premises include two private rooms which they make good use of for their services and for private conversations.

• Principle 4 – Services

  Standards met

  The pharmacy delivers its services in a safe and effective manner, and people with a range of needs can easily access them. It shows a good understanding of local health needs and adapts its services to suit, including delivering some of its services in people’s homes if they can’t get to the pharmacy. The pharmacy sources, stores and manages its medicines safely, and so makes sure that all the medicines it supplies are fit for purpose. It identifies people supplied with high-risk medicines so that they can be given extra information they may need to take their medicines safely. It responds well to drug alerts or product recalls to make sure that people only get medicines or devices which are safe for them to take.

• Principle 5 – Equipment

  Standards met

  The pharmacy has suitable facilities for the services it provides, and it makes sure that they are properly maintained. It also ensures that people’s private information is kept safe and secure.

Inspection history summary