Does everyone remember their first inspection or is it just me?
On 15 December 2014, we were approaching Christmas and the pharmacy was busier than usual. I was informed by the counter assistant that we had a visitor. The inspector was here!
"Go easy on me...Its my birthday." I said, trying to inject some humour into the situation (it really was my birthday). I wasn't sure what to expect, I worked for a multiple and generally followed their procedures (although I knew the near misses weren't always completed.)
I had some experience working for the GPhC as a panel member and we were always friendly to people on the other side of the table. But this time was different and by the end of the visit, I was left with an action plan and feeling a bit upset.
Upset with the way I was treated, upset that we weren't given the benefit of the doubt but mostly upset with myself. I knew I could've done better if I had just knew more.
So what happened next?
I worked hard to address the pointers that had been given (which were more than just the near misses). At the revisit, everything was signed off. But that experience had a lasting effect on me....
I vowed that I would make a difference in the inspection process and have a completely different approach to the one I had been subjected to...
Fast forward to January 2020, I had completed my last visit as a GPhC inspector after 5 years of service. I had seen shedloads of pharmacies all across Great Britain but I noticed an important thing.
It was often the pharmacies that didn't have head office functions or vast superintendent teams that performed much worse than their counterparts. I didn't feel like they were much worse in actuality, they often had an experienced team that knew all their patients very well. But they did lack proper governance.
I set up My Pharmacy Standards with the aim of supporting individuals and pharmacies with their governance.
Not only does it promote safety, but it makes complete business sense. After all, a pharmacy lives or dies by the competence of the staff working in it. Now that reports are published, why wouldn't you want to grab hold of your governance and be prepared for anything?
Who is this course for?
Very simply, this course is for anyone that works in a registered pharmacy! The level of this course is such that even people with some experience can pick up upon the themes explored.
The course is perfect for people who need to know how pharmacy premises are regulated and are seeking a bit more than a superficial understanding about how these standards can be met.
We cover:
- The GPhC and their inspection process
- What to expect during an inspection
- If things don't go to plan during an inspection...
- How to take the initiative to make the pharmacy better yourself!
A supporting tool is included (for free!) to help you audit the pharmacy's compliance to the standards.
Once fully completed, you will receive a course completion certificate which you can use for your training records.
This learning covers the GPhC standards for pharmacy premises and could be used to support remediation or reflection by an individual facing fitness-to-practice issues.
Lifetime access to this course for a one-off fee!
Delivered by an experienced Trainer
Shahzad Ahmad
Former General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) inspector and pharmacy consultant. I walk you through the GPhC standards for registered pharmacies and the supportive tool to help you improve standards. Find out more about me here: About — My Pharmacy Standards
Recommended
"Shahzad he [sic] has got a wealth on knowledge in regulatory and patient safety standards. He was able to support me in my role to think of ways I can improve standards and also networks to engage with to help my personal development. He has a good insight of changes within pharmacy and offered support on things to consider."
"I've worked with many consultants, but Shahzad is someone who stands out due to his professionalism and extensive knowledge of the industry. His communication and ability to navigate me through the process of a GPhC inspection were first-class.
Shahzad was well informed about the needs of the company and helped provide amazing support and direction to prepare for our inspection (we passed the inspection with all standards met!)"
“I just wanted to reach out and thank Shahzad Ahmad and the My Pharmacy Standards team for helping our pharmacies with governance standards for our clinical services.
Whilst I have undergone extensive clinical training, I have always found little direction and guidance on clinical governance.
Shaz was amazing, he came all the way to visit us in person, he dedicated his time and undivided attention to understand our processes. He provided evaluation and guidance on how to ensure our services are safe and robust. Giving us lots of examples of what good looks like really helped shaped our governance.
In all honesty, I wasn't sure what to expect when I booked Shaz in the diary. However, I believe our session was the most valuable booking in my diary I could have made! His real life experience speaks a thousand words.”
