Inspecting registered pharmacies

We set standards for registered pharmacies in Great Britain; and by inspecting pharmacies we assess if they are meeting these standards. In this way, we provide assurance to patients and the public that they will receive safe and effective care. 

Pharmacy inspections are also intended to help pharmacies improve their systems and services, the quality of care and the outcomes for patients and the public using their services. 

Visit our pharmacy inspections website to find published pharmacy inspection reports.

Our approach to inspections has recently changed. Explore the links below to find out more about our approach or visit our pharmacy inspections website to find published pharmacy inspection reports.

 

Our approach to inspections
Our approach to inspections changed in 2019, watch our ‘All about inspection’ video for an introduction to what happens during an inspection...
Different types of inspections
Our inspection team carry out both routine inspections and intelligence-led inspections. We also undertake themed reviews, where we visit a range of pharmacies to look in detail at a particular theme.
What happens during an inspection?
During pharmacy inspections, our inspectors will be looking for evidence to show that the standards for registered pharmacies are met.
Inspection reports
We are now publishing reports from pharmacy inspections that have taken place since April 2019. For more details please visit our new website at: https://inspections.pharmacyregulation.org
Outcomes from inspections
The outcome a pharmacy will receive from an inspection has changed as part of our updated approach. There are now two potential outcomes; standards met or standards not all met.
Improvement action plans
All pharmacies which have not met one or more of the standards during an inspection will be required to complete and implement an improvement action plan.
Enforcement action
Our overall approach is to support and encourage pharmacy owners to meet the standards for registered pharmacies. We have a number of different enforcement options available to us to secure compliance with our standards.
Helpful resources
The resources on this webpage provide further information on our approach to inspections and how we make decisions during inspections.