The Pharmacists’ Defence Association has welcomed the launch of a GPhC website giving access to pharmacy inspection reports and is encouraging pharmacists to review that information before deciding where to work.
Mark Pitt, Director of Defence Services at the PDA explained “As the defence association and independent trade union representing pharmacists, we help our members resolve issues encountered in the workplace. We often hear pharmacists say that if only they had known what they now know about a particular pharmacy they would not have accepted a locum booking or permanent role there.”
This new facility provided by the GPhC will, as it matures, allow pharmacists to view detailed information about the regulatory compliance of all registered pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales which will help pharmacists make up their own minds on whether to accept work offered to them.
The inspection reports will also enable locum pharmacists to undertake a risk assessment before commencing work, so that any known issues at a pharmacy can be anticipated and measures put in place by the locum to address these.
The PDA also recommend that pharmacists look at the Employment Tribunal judgements on its website to gain an insight into the way various pharmacy employers treat their staff.
Mr Pitt concluded “As pharmacists we know that prevention is better than cure and if pharmacists are more able to avoid poor quality employers in the first place, that will reduce their exposure to risk and ultimately put pressure on poor pharmacies to improve their behaviour and compliance.”
The GPhC website providing inspection reports is here
The PDA list of tribunal judgements is here