If you are a distance-selling pharmacy attached to a private high street-based, pharmacy, the GPhC may want to inspect your premises to ensure that you are not offering face-to-face NHS essential services to the public. In this case, a risk assessment of P medicine sales would be essential. Creating one requires a deep understanding of the local regulations, pharmacy operations, and the specific risks associated with the sale of Pharmacy Only (P) medicines. Here’s a simplified outline to guide you:
- Identification of Risks:
- Expiry date check
- Incorrect Dispensing
- Pharmacist Sale Approval
- Miscommunication about medicine usage
- Adverse reactions or interactions
- Analysis of Risks:
- Likelihood of occurrence
- Potential impact
- Evaluation of Risks:
- Tolerability
- Priority for addressing
- Mitigation Strategies:
- Staff training and certification
- Clear procedures for the sale of P medicines
- Patient counseling
- Proper signage and information
- Systems for verifying patient details and medicine details
- Monitoring and Review:
- Regular audits
- Feedback collection from staff and patients
- Review of adverse incidents
- Documentation:
- Recording all identified risks, analysis, mitigation strategies, and reviews
- Compliance with GPhC Standards:
- Ensuring all processes comply with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) standards and other relevant regulations.
This outline is quite general and should be tailored to the specific circumstances of the pharmacy in question. Consulting with a legal professional or a pharmacy consultant with experience in UK regulations is advisable for a thorough risk assessment. If you would like to get in contact with one please drop us a line.
