Risk Assessments are a regulatory requirement in medicines wholesaling but have you considered that they could also be very useful in pharmacy practice?
There are many factors affecting registered pharmacies these days from the strict advertising regulations affecting Prescription Only Medicines, the new Standards for Chief Pharmacists and the failure to meet the GPhC’s standards and principles at inspection. There has also been new GPhC guidance issued for registered pharmacies providing pharmacy services at a distance, including on the internet.
The updated guidance includes the following points:
- There should always be a means of 2-way communication between the patient and the prescriber for all online prescribing
- For higher risk medication the prescriber should not base prescribing decisions on the information provided in an online questionnaire but must independently verify the answers directly with the patient.
- For weight management medicines the prescriber must independently verify the patient’s height and weight or BMI.
The guidance goes on to say that pharmacy owners and superintendents are expected to review the updated guidance and make any changes at the earliest opportunity.
Not taking the appropriate steps could result in the GPhC taking enforcement action.
One of the best ways of ensuring enforcement action is avoided is to begin by performing a thorough Risk Assessment of the requirements of the guidance against your current processes to identify any gaps and the subsequent actions required to fill them. The team at PCL includes several Pharmacists who have a wealth of knowledge and experience of conducting Risk Assessments and implementing the resulting actions, so if you require any further information or assistance please contact us.