The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) said it will postpone its “sample of routine inspections” until Spring, given the ongoing winter pressures.

In an update published in 11 January, the GPhC wrote:

“We know that the pharmacy sector is continuing to experience high and sustained demands during this very busy winter period. The joint communication we issued in December recognises the critical role of pharmacy professionals and teams in supporting the NHS and social care services at this time.

“Given the ongoing winter pressures, we are keeping our regulatory processes under review to ensure we support pharmacies during these challenging times to provide safe and effective care to patients. We have extended the timeframe of our sample of routine inspections to spread these out over a longer period, including moving any inspections of hospital pharmacies in this sample to later in spring. We are also making adjustments to allow more flexibility for pharmacies to respond to our inspection reports.”

The GPhC sets standards for registered pharmacies in Great Britain and is responsible for assessing if registered pharmacies are meeting these standards. In this way, it says through this, it “provides assurance to patients and the public that they will receive safe and effective care” and “Pharmacy inspections are also intended to help pharmacies improve their systems and services, the quality of care and the outcomes for patients and the public using their services. “

Disclaimer: The accuracy and information of news stories published on this website is accurate on the date of publishing. We endeavour to update stories if information change. You can contact us with change and update requests. Where possible, we will link to sources. Content on this website is for guidance purposes only. We cannot accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever for any action taken, or not taken. You should seek the appropriate legal advice having regard to your own particular circumstances.