Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are detailed instructions that outline the steps that should be taken in order to perform a specific task or activity. In a pharmacy setting, SOPs may be used to ensure that tasks are performed consistently and in compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and best practices.
Examples of tasks that may be covered by SOPs in a pharmacy include:
- Receiving and processing prescriptions
- Dispensing medications
- Providing patient counselling
- Handling and disposing of hazardous materials
- Processing insurance claims
- Maintaining accurate records
- Managing inventory
- Training new staff
SOPs are typically developed by the pharmacy management or by a designated SOP committee, and they may be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to reflect changes in laws, regulations, or best practices. SOPs are important because they help to ensure that tasks are performed consistently and accurately, and they can also serve as a reference for staff when they are performing unfamiliar tasks or procedures.
Overall there is a wide range of SOPs, below is a list of the most important ones used in healthcare:
COVID Vaccine Clinic Standard Operating Procedures including:
- COVID-19 Pharmacy Vaccination Services
- COVID-19 Social Distancing and Infection Control Risk
Prescribing Specific Standard Operating Procedures including:
- Referral Criteria Policy
- Chaperoning Policy
- Safeguarding and protecting people from abuse policy (adult protection/child protection)
- Privacy, dignity and respect of service users
- Medication policy (dispensing process)
- Information management policy
- Infection prevention and control
- Participation policy
- Complaints policy
- Duty of Candour policy
- Recruitment and induction policy
- Staff training and development policy
- Bullying and harassment policy
- Whistleblowing policy
- Equality and Diversity Policy
- Clinical governance policy
- Staff Handbook
Pharmacy and Medical Standard Operating Procedures including:
- Fire Risk Assessment
- Arrangements for dealing with emergencies including resuscitation
- Care Quality Commission Governance (CQC Care Providers only)
- Statement of Purpose
- Patient Guide
- British Code of Advertising
- Patient Disclaimer
- Disability and the Equality Act 2010
- Seeking Clients’ Consent
- Complaints Procedure
- Whistle Blowing Policy
- Confidentiality Policy
- Clinical Governance
- Clinical Audit
- Safeguarding Policy
- Stress Management
- Sickness and Absence Policy
- RIDDOR Procedure
- Policy on violent or abusive patients
- Mental Capacity
- Medicine Incident Reporting Policy
- Medication Review Policy
- Protocol for the Identification of Patients with Learning Disabilities
- Electronic Transfer of Patient Data Policy
- Medicines Safety Alerts Policy
- Disciplinary Policy
- Disclosure and Barring Policy
- Computer Misuse Policy
- Computer and Data Security Procedure
- Caldicott Protocol
- Business Continuity Plan
- Repeat Prescription Rationalisation (‘Tidy-Up’) by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Pre-Agreed Practice Specific Medication Switches to the Health Board Preferred Generic, Brand or Branded Generic by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Updating Repeat Medication from Community Pharmacy Medication Use Review by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Adding the Medication of a Newly Registered Patient onto the Repeat Prescription by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Medicines Reconciliation from Hospital Outpatient Documentation by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Medicines Reconciliation from a Hospital Discharge Notification by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Domiciliary Medication Adherence Assessment by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Level 2 Medication Review (including repeat medication reauthorisation) by Medicines Management Team in Primary care
- Level 3 Medication Review (including repeat medication reauthorisation) by Medicines Management Team in Primary Care
- Memorandum of Understanding with the Medicines Management Team
- Wholesale Dealers Licence Overidding Single Pharmacy
- Supplying Specific Products (GPhC Registration Holders only)
- Supply of Insulin
- Supply of Lithium
- Supply of Methotrexate
- Supply of Oral Anticoagulant Medication
- Supply of Paraffin Based Skin Products
- Sale and Supply of Veterinary Medicines
- Supplying Oral Anti-Cancer Medicines
- Information Governance (All Healthcare Providers)
- Summary Care Records Privacy Officer
- Staff Confidentiality Agreement
- IG Policy
- Code of Conduct for Employees in Respect of Confidentiality
- Data Handling Procedures
- Mobile Computing Guidelines
- Information Security Incident Management
- Access Control and Password Management Procedure
- Ensuring Staff Compliance with RA01 Terms Template SOP
- GDPR Privacy notice for employees workers and contractors UK
- Privacy Statement for GDPR
- Add New File
- Staff Induction (All Healthcare Providers)
- Locum Induction
- Staff Induction
- Signposting (GPhC Registration Holders only)
- Signposting
- Private Services (GPhC Registration Holders only)
- Salbutamol Supply to Schools
- Blood Diagnostics via Finger Prick
- Dispensing Private Prescriptions
- Operational (All Healthcare Providers)
- Cleaning
- Cold Chain Maintenance
- Equipment Maintenance
- Health and Safety – Risk Assessment
- Internet Pharmacy (GPhC Distance Selling Registration Holders only)
- Dispatching an Internet Order
- Final Checking an Internet Order
- Providing Services via an Internet Pharmacy
- Overarching Internet Pharmacy
- Preparing an Internet Order
- Receiving and Internet Order
- Setting up an internet pharmacy in the UK
- Pharmacy Social Media
- Cold Chain Delivery
- Selling OTC or P Medicines Online
- Pharmacy Cybersecurity
- Checking NHS Exemptions (GPhC + NHS License Holders only)
- Taking an NHS Prescription Charge (GPhC + NHS License Holders only)
- Remote Appliance Fitting
- Remote Compliance Aid Need Assessment
- Remote Patient Assessment of Repeat Dispensing Need (GPhC + NHS License Holders only)
- Remote Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle and Public Health Campaigns (GPhC + NHS License Holders only)
- Remote Signposting (GPhC + NHS License Holders only)
- Remote Disposal of Medicines
- Remote Support for Self-Care
- Essential Services
- Accuracy Check by an Accredited Checking Technician
- Accuracy Checking
- Assembling and labelling prescriptions
- Chaperoning
- Date Checking
- Delivery of Medicines
- Dispensing Medicines with a Compliance Aid
- Dispensing of Prescriptions
- Disposal of Unwanted or Waste Medicines
- Electronic Prescription Service Release 2
- Emergency Supply
- End of Month Procedures
- Owing Medication Supply
- Prescription Collection Service
- Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle
- Receiving Stock into the Pharmacy
- Roles and Responsibilities of Pharmacy Staff
- Support For People With Disabilities (Disability Act 2010)
- Support for Self Care
- Uncollected Prescriptions
- Responsible Pharmacist
- Sale of Medicines
- Repeat Dispensing
- Add New File
- Errors, Interventions and Complaints (All Healthcare Providers)
- Complaints, Concerns, Enquiries and Compliments Procedure
- Dealing with Dispensing Errors
- Interventions and Problem Solving
- Near Miss Audit
- Pharmacy Patient Safety Incident Report and Follow Up
- Preventing errors and recording near misses
- Enhanced Services (GPhC Registration Holders only)
- Blood Glucose Monitoring
- Monitoring Blood Pressure
- Cardiovascular Screening
- Chlamydia Testing
- Cholesterol, Glucose, Hemoglobin Point of Care Testing
- Emergency Hormonal Contraception
- Hosiery Fitting
- Minor Ailments Scheme
- Monitored Dose Systems
- Needle and Exchange Service Scheme
- Palliative Care Enhanced Service
- Pharmacy Urgent Repeat Medicine Service
- Smoking Cessation
- Controlled Drugs
- Balance Check and Record-Keeping
- Delivering Controlled Drugs Standard Operating Procedure
- Destruction of Controlled Drugs
- Dispensing Codeine And Dihydrocodeine
- Dispensing of Controlled Drugs
- Dispensing Supervised Methadone
- Extemporaneous preparation of methadone
- Instalment dispensing of Controlled Drugs
- Recording Concerns over CD management
- Security and Storage of Controlled Drugs
- Supervised Controlled Drugs
- Supply of Sativex
- Business Continuity
- Operating in the Absence of a Responsible Pharmacist
- Pandemic Protocol
- Business Continuity Plan
- COVID Social Distancing and Infection Control Risk Assessment Tool
- Advanced Services (GPhC Registration Holders only)
- Appliance Use Reviews
- Medicine Use Reviews
- New Medicine Service
- Stoma Appliance Customisation Service
- DMIRs
- Seasonal Vaccine Clinics
- Infection Control
- Influenza Vaccination
- Needlestick Injuries and Contamination
- Travel Clinic
- Malaria Chemoprophylaxis
- MMR Vaccination
- Shingles Vaccination
- Travel Core
- Yellow Fever Centre
