What you can expect from pharmacies and pharmacy professionals

What you can expect when visiting a pharmacy

You should receive good-quality care that helps you to improve your health and well-being.

The General Pharmaceutical Council sets standards for pharmacies to help make sure this happens.

These standards are set out under five principles, which are summarised below:

  1. The pharmacy must be managed safely and effectively
  2. The staff working in the pharmacy must be competent and empowered to do their roles
  3. The pharmacy premises must be appropriate to provide services
  4. The pharmacy must supply medicines and provide other services safely and effectively 
  5. The pharmacy’s equipment and facilities must be safe and effective

For more information, please see our guide for patients and the public on what to expect when visiting a pharmacy [PDF 748 KB].

The guide is also available in Welsh/ Cymraeg [PDF 876 KB].

What you can expect from a pharmacist or pharmacy technician

All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians also have to meet standards for pharmacy professionals set by the General Pharmaceutical Council. There are nine standards, and we have summarised what they mean for you as follows.

All pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must:

  1. give you person-centred care
  2. work in partnership with you and others involved in your care
  3. communicate effectively with you
  4. maintain, develop and use their professional knowledge and skills
  5. use their professional judgement to act in your best interests
  6. behave in a professional manner to you
  7. respect and maintain your privacy and confidentiality
  8. be honest with you and say sorry when things go wrong
  9. demonstrate leadership, including towards other people working in the pharmacy

For more information, please see our guide for patients and the public on what to expect when visiting a pharmacy [PDF 748 KB]. 

The guide is also available in Welsh/ Cymraeg [PDF 876 KB].

Look out for our poster in your local pharmacy

We have produced a poster that summarises the standards that pharmacies and pharmacy professionals have to meet [PDF 197 KB]. Look out for the poster in your local pharmacy.

The poster is also available in Welsh/Cymraeg [PDF 214 KB].