As part of changes to its inspection model – which included the introduction of new “intelligence-led” inspections and unannounced visits in April this year – the GPhC is planning to publish inspection reports on a dedicated website.

These reports – plus details of any actions taken against the pharmacy or contractor following the inspection – will be held on the regulator’s site for five years following the inspection, the GPhC said in an update to its publication and disclosure policy today (August 9).

The inspection website is due to go live in early September, the GPhC told C+D, and will also include examples of good practice for pharmacies to learn from.

Reports will be accessible via the individual pharmacy’s entry on the GPhC register. Each pharmacy will also have a dedicated page on the new inspection website, which will include the detailed evidence report, improvement action plan and links to previous reports, the GPhC explained.

The regulator will not publish or disclose any commercially sensitive information, nor information that may prejudice ongoing third party or other GPhC investigations, “unless appropriate”, it said.

Sharing the information

The inspection reports will be publicly available for patients to analyse, but the GPhC will also share intelligence with other relevant stakeholders, including the Care Quality Commission, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NHS England, it explained.

The updated version of its disclosure practices “explains how the GPhC balances the need to be open and transparent against the rights and freedoms of individuals”, it said.

Read the GPhC’s publication and disclosure policy.