A study commissioned by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has found that the new approach to regulating registered pharmacies is perceived to be working well.

The study found that the standards for registered pharmacies are well-understood with the majority of community pharmacy professionals (86 per cent) reporting that they were aware of the standards. Some 98 per cent of pharmacy professionals who experienced an inspection highlighted the importance of the GPhC inspector’s feedback during the process in helping them to meet and improve on standards.

Inspection reports were also deemed to help pharmacies improve their services to patients and the public, with 92 per cent agreeing that inspection reports are valuable to implement improvements in quality and performance. And 87 per cent agreed that reports help them focus their efforts on the areas of most relevance to patient safety.

Some respondents raised concerns about the current ratings model, noting a lack of clarity and differentiation between ratings. And a suggestion was put forward that the time in which pharmacies have to make improvements identified through action plans should be extended.

Commenting on the study, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said: “We are committed to using evidence to inform our decision making and this study gives us important insights into how our inspection model is working. The study also highlights some useful feedback on key issues which we can use as we work to improve and refine our approach.”