Unannounced inspections and a new approach by GPhC is a total game-changer, says Noel Wicks

I don’t know if you noticed, but pharmacy is undergoing the biggest change in its recent history. I may have only been in the profession of pharmacy for 13 years, but I have never come across a game changer of this magnitude before.

I’m not talking about the Scottish Prescription for Excellence document or the change from PCTs to CCGs. I’m talking about the GPhC’s new model of premises inspection. In fact, by the time you read this, quite a few pharmacies (including one of ours) will have experienced their first taste of life under the new regime. I do hope that we weren’t found wanting!

This quiet revolution is undoubtedly going to catch quite a number of pharmacies unawares. I suspect that when most people get the letter through the door to say that they can expect a visit in the near future, the first thing they will feel is a mild sense of panic. This panic may deepen depending on how much time they’ve spent in preparation, not just for the new standards but also on understanding the new inspection model.

The new style of inspection seems to be the element causing the most concern. It involves much greater observation and evidencing than ever before. Like most pharmacists, I have been rapidly trying to get my head around the implications involved not only for myself, but also for our staff. It will be an unusual experience for them to be having detailed conversations with the inspector about what they do and how they do it.

I know these concerns aren’t just my own. I recently attended an NPA member event in Glasgow that focused entirely on the new inspection model. From speaking with the other pharmacists who attended it is quite clear that most have concerns of one type or another.

This quiet revolution is undoubtedly going to catch quite a number of pharmacies unawares

It was helpful to hear first-hand from an inspector on how they intend to approach inspections going forward. It also gave people an opportunity to express concerns that inspections are now unannounced. Of all the changes, this might be the hardest to accept.

It’s not because people want to hide anything from the inspector, but we do want to be able to plan our resources. Unfortunately, it seems that this is not the way that modern regulation works and the public (whom the GPhC are there to protect) expect that visits should be conducted in this way.

Of course, we aren’t alone. If you have worked with nursing homes then you will know that their inspectors can also make unannounced visits. They too look at a broad range of areas and have significant powers of enforcement for those who fall short, including closing homes. In practice, the fact that these reports are published means that care homes do work hard to ensure that they meet all the standards. To do otherwise means running the risk of losing business.

So with that in mind, I think it’s time to don the Che Guevara T-shirts and get on with the ‘revolucion’. As Mr Guevara said: ‘The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.’ Our staff and patients are depending on us to get this right.