The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has announced plans to ‘update and improve’ the way it inspects pharmacies.

It has outlined a set of proposals to its governing council which include the introduction of shorter, more focused inspections, alongside its full inspections.

Under the plans, inspectors will have the option to switch to a full inspection if they deem it necessary or beneficial.

And the regulator confirmed that any pharmacy being inspected for the first time will automatically have a full inspection.

Other proposed changes include:

  • More targeted inspection activity to focus on areas of higher risk by employing a shorter, focused inspection methodology for some routine inspections.
  • The ability to carry out re-inspections at any time up to six months plus two weeks from the date of initial inspection, resulting in more timely follow-up when standards have not been met.
  • Taking a more flexible and risk-based approach to when and how we carry out inspections for newly-registered pharmacies.
  • Shorter, clearer inspection reports and improved standardisation of approach across the inspectorate.

The planned changes are due to be implemented during January 2025.

Chief pharmacy officer at the GPhC, Roz Gittins, said: ‘Pharmacy inspections are a vital part of our role as the pharmacy regulator.

‘They help to ensure patients and the public get safe and effective pharmacy care – whether that is online or face-to-face.’

She added: ‘Updating the inspections process means we can be more targeted, focusing on areas of higher risk, and the key standards for patient safety.

‘It means we will be able to carry out more inspection activity as efficiently as possible.

‘Our priority is patient safety, and inspections help with assuring the public that they can have trust in pharmacy and the services they provide.’

Alongside focused and full inspections, the GPhC said other types of inspections will continue, including re-inspections, intelligence-led inspections and themed inspections.

In the summer, the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) warned patient safety was increasingly at risk as most pharmacy premises will only be inspected once every 15-17 years.

At the time in June, the GPhC told The Pharmacist that it was prioritising investigating patient safety concerns over routine scheduled inspections, adding that it was reviewing its inspection process and methodology.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow