Category: Pharmacy premises standards

Learn about legal requirements for pharmacy premises, including registration, inspection, GPhC standards, and maintaining compliance.

Controlled drugs Emergency supply of medicines Pharmacy premises standards Prescription requirements Safe dispensing practices

Faxed and Digital Prescriptions

Pharmacies are frequently presented with faxed prescriptions, emailed copies, or photos on a patient’s phone. While these may appear convenient, they raise important legal and patient safety issues.

This article explains what is and is not legally valid, and how pharmacists should approach these situations.

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1916/contents

Handling complaints and patient safety Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Safe dispensing practices

Accuracy Checks in Pharmacy

An accuracy check is a critical step in the dispensing process, ensuring that the medicine supplied matches the prescription exactly. While often viewed as a technical process, it carries significant legal and professional responsibility.

In UK pharmacy practice, accuracy checking is not explicitly defined in legislation, but it is required in practice through legal accountability, professional standards, and patient safety obligations.

There is no explicit reference in primary legislation requiring an “accuracy check” as a defined step.

Handling complaints and patient safety Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Dispensing Errors and Near Misses

Dispensing errors and near misses are an inherent risk within pharmacy practice. Managing these incidents appropriately is essential to protect patients, maintain public trust, and comply with legal and professional requirements.

Pharmacists and pharmacy teams must operate within a culture of openness, learning, and continuous improvement, ensuring that errors are addressed promptly and used to strengthen systems of care.

A dispensing error occurs when a medicine is supplied to a patient that is:

Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards

Indemnity Insurance in Pharmacy

Indemnity insurance is a fundamental requirement for pharmacy professionals and pharmacy businesses in Great Britain. It provides financial protection where claims arise from professional practice and is a key component of patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Both individual registrants and pharmacy owners must ensure that appropriate indemnity arrangements are in place at all times.

The requirement for pharmacy professionals to have indemnity arrangements is set out in the
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/231/contents
(Pharmacy Order 2010).

Controlled drugs Handling complaints and patient safety Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Remote and online pharmacy services Safe dispensing practices

Online Pharmacies and Remote Prescribing

The growth of online prescribing and distance-selling pharmacy services has introduced significant risks around the safe and appropriate supply of medicines. In response, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has strengthened its regulatory expectations for pharmacies operating remotely, particularly where prescribing is carried out online.

Pharmacy owners, superintendent pharmacists, and responsible pharmacists must ensure that any supply made through an online model meets both legal requirements and professional standards.

Registered pharmacies in Great Britain are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council under the Pharmacy Order 2010, which gives the GPhC enforcement powers over pharmacy owners, superintendent pharmacists, and pharmacy professionals.

Medicines licensing Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Safe dispensing practices

Medical Devices

Medical devices are regulated separately from medicines and are subject to a distinct legal framework in the UK. It is important to understand what qualifies as a medical device, how devices are classified, and the regulatory requirements that apply to their supply and use.

Under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/618) (as amended), a medical device is:

👉 Key legal distinction:
A medical device does not achieve its principal intended action by pharmacological, immunological, or metabolic means, although such means may assist its function.

Controlled drugs Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Record-keeping requirements Safe dispensing practices

Supply or Collection of Medicines by Children

Pharmacists may be asked to supply or hand over medicines to a child or young person, either:

There is no absolute legal prohibition on a child collecting medicines. However, the decision to supply must be made using professional judgement, taking into account medicines legislation and regulatory standards.

Under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, medicines may be supplied to a patient or their representative.

Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy premises standards Safe dispensing practices

Child-Resistant Containers (CRCs)

Child-resistant containers (CRCs) are a key safety measure designed to reduce the risk of accidental poisoning in children. In community pharmacy practice, there is a strong expectation that medicines are supplied in suitable child-resistant packaging unless there is a valid reason not to do so.

Under UK law, the requirement for child-resistant packaging primarily arises from:

These regulations require that certain medicines are supplied in child-resistant containers where appropriate, particularly where there is a risk of harm if ingested by a child.

Controlled drugs Pharmacist and technician responsibilities Pharmacy inspections and enforcement Pharmacy premises standards

Secure environments

Secure environments include prisons, police custody suites, secure hospitals, immigration removal centres, and other places where individuals are detained. These settings present unique legal and operational considerations because they sit at the intersection of healthcare law, custodial law, and medicines legislation.

UK medicines legislation (e.g. the Human Medicines Regulations 2012) does not always explicitly refer to these environments. In practice, pharmacy services must apply principles from primary care or secondary care, depending on the context, while remaining within the relevant legal framework.

Where medicines are dispensed from an in-house prison pharmacy for administration or supply to patients within the same prison: