There are several types of pharmacy audits:

1. Compliance audits: These audits are conducted to ensure that a pharmacy is following all relevant laws, regulations, and policies related to the practice of pharmacy.
2. Quality assurance audits: These audits are designed to evaluate the quality of pharmacy services and to identify areas for improvement.
3. Clinical audits: These audits focus on the clinical aspects of pharmacy practice, including the accuracy and appropriateness of medication orders and the quality of patient care.
4. Financial audits: These audits are conducted to assess the financial performance and efficiency of a pharmacy.
5. Information systems audits: These audits evaluate the security and effectiveness of a pharmacy’s computer systems and technology.
6. Supply chain audits: These audits examine the processes and systems used by a pharmacy to purchase, store, and dispense medications.
7. Safety audits: These audits assess the safety of a pharmacy’s facilities, equipment, and processes.

Audits may be conducted by external organizations such as regulatory agencies or professional bodies, or by the pharmacy itself as part of an ongoing quality improvement process.

Pharmacy Audit Examples

Here are a few community pharmacy audit templates you can download and reuse as you wish:

• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on NSAID Audit on Gastrointestinal Safety
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on LABA as monotherapy for the treatment of asthma without ICS preventer treatment
• Community Pharmacy Audit on Hydration Messages to Prevent Acute Kidney Injury
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on Opioid Replacement Therapy
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on Emergency Hormonal Contraceptives
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on Valproate Safety
• Community Pharmacy Self-Audit Checklist
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on Antibiotics
• Community Pharmacy Audit Template on Gabapentin and Pregabalin

You can perform an audit yourself, or delegate this task to another appropriately qualified professional, however, why not let us help? In our online store, we offer an easily downloadable pharmacy audit template pack.

~ The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations

Regulation 25 (2)(a), which can be found in the National Health Service Regulations is often quoted by the NHS inspectorate during a refused application for a distance-selling pharmacy. The reason this regulation was initially included by the NHS was to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest in a primary care provider such as a GP surgery opening up a distance-selling pharmacy within its location. The conflict that might arise is that the GP or whoever is writing the prescription will direct the patient to the pharmacy within the building for dispensing. i.e. if the GP has a share in both businesses they will be both the gold mine and the jeweller!

The best way to avoid conflicts of interest like this is to not do it! Or if there is no other option to create a clinical governance framework which would train all prescription writers not to direct prescriptions to the pharmacy within the same building. This is very nuanced, however, has been done in multiple previous locations including Douglas Pharmacy, in Angel Islington. If you would like further advice from the pharmacist that set this up please use this link.