The General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) premises inspections are “working well”, although there remain concerns about its ratings system, according to a report commissioned by the regulator.

Almost three quarters of more than 3,700 pharmacy professionals and inspectors surveyed by evaluation firm ICF International said the GPhC’s updated standards for premises inspections – published in November 2013 –  had encouraged them to increase their focus on patients, the company said yesterday (October 28).

Of the almost 1,400 respondents who have been inspected since the introduction of the new standards, 94% said inspection reports had allowed them to improve their standards, ICF International said in its report.

"Lack of clarity"

However, some respondents expressed concerns about the “lack of clarity and differentiation” between the regulator’s premises ratings, the company stressed.

The GPhC vowed to scrap its ‘satisfactory’ rating in February in response to concerns from the sector, and ICF International said that the “general opinion” of respondents was that this rating is “misleading and often demotivating for pharmacies”.

There was also "some evidence" that the action plans given to inspected pharmacies "provide insufficient time for pharmacists to implement remedial action", it said.

ICF International said it found "little evidence" from the responses that the new inspections regime had led to "sustained improvements yet".

ICF International also noted that "a few" inspectors wanted more guidance, such as practical examples and information about the evidence pharmacies must produce to achieve each rating.

GPhC chief executive Duncan Rudkin said it is “very encouraging” that the majority of respondents felt inspections help “deliver real improvements in patient safety”. The regulator will use the study’s “useful feedback” to “improve and refine” its premises inspections, he added.

How could the GPhC improve its premises inspections?

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