This approach aims to give a “snapshot of performance on the register” – Claire Bryce-Smith, the GPhC’s director of insight, intelligence and inspections, told delegates at the Avicenna conference in London on Sunday (March 6).

The regulator is currently considering how it will select the pharmacies that will be inspected as part of this trial, which will begin in May, a spokesperson told C+D yesterday (March 7).

 

Read more: GPhC puts routine inspections on hold to help pharmacies drive COVID-19 boosters

 

Plans for a new “risk-based” inspection programme were first announced in May last year.

The GPhC referred to this new model as a “dual approach”, which will look at how well pharmacies are meeting the regulator’s standards while “driving improvement in the quality of pharmacy services”.

 

No changes to standards

 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the GPhC moved to a “supportive and proportionate approach” by suspending routine inspections – although it started to reintroduce some of these at the end of January.

Post-pandemic, the GPhC wants to move forward, “rebalance resources across the inspection model” and “accelerate the evolution” of its approach, Mr Bryce-Smith told delegates.

 

Read more: GPhC mulls differentiated fees to cover regulatory cost of online pharmacies

 

However, the standards pharmacies are required to meet and the way in which inspections are carried out are not going to change, she clarified.

“For those of you who’ve had inspections, it is very much a show-and-tell approach. It’s not about us commandeering the responsible pharmacist for three hours”, but a process that involves the whole pharmacy team, Ms Bryce-Smith added. 

She pointed out that most pharmacies meet the GPhC’s standards but suggested that contractors pay particular attention to six key standards (listed below).

• 1.1 The risks associated with providing pharmacy services are identified and managed

• 1.2 The safety and quality of pharmacy services are reviewed and monitored

• 2.2 Staff have the appropriate skills, qualifications and competence for their role and the tasks they carry out, or are working under the supervision of another person while they are in training

• 2.4 There is a culture of openness, honesty and learning

• 4.2 Pharmacy services are managed and delivered safely and effectively

• 4.3 Medicines and medical devices are:

• obtained from a reputable source
• safe and fit for purpose
• stored securely
• safeguarded from unauthorised access
• supplied to the patient safely
• disposed of safely and securely.

Source: GPhC Standards for registered pharmacies

 

“We will be going forward building that better balance between our routine inspections and intelligence-lead [ones], which we are keen to review to make sure they’re more proportionate,” Ms Bryce-Smith continued.

The GPhC is keen to publish more examples of “notable practice”, she suggested, and hopes contractors will get in touch to “share when you’re doing things well rather than just [us] trying to collect them through an inspection”.