Pharmacy Inspector

Integrated Care System; London; Remote; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A regulatory body is seeking a Pharmacy Inspector to ensure registered pharmacies comply with standards. The role involves inspections, providing recommendations, and working collaboratively with stakeholders. Candidates must be a Registered Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with substantial experience. The position offers a competitive salary starting from £45,891 per annum with additional benefits.

Benefits

Car allowance

Training opportunities

Diverse and inclusive culture

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with substantial experience in pharmacy services.
• Understanding of GPhC's statutory responsibilities.
• Experience in technology used in pharmacy services.

Responsibilities

• Inspect registered pharmacies against standards.
• Provide recommendations for suitability to register.
• Work collaboratively with healthcare providers.

Skills

Knowledge of pharmacy standards

Analytical skills

IT competency

Communication skills

Ability to enforce standards

Education

Registered Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

We are looking for a Pharmacy Inspector to inspect pharmacy premises. We have 2 roles, one to cover premises in Northwest London and the home counties, and another to cover North & Mid Wales, Shropshire, Wirral, and Liverpool (Part).

Salary: Starting from £45,891 per annum, depending on skills and experience, plus benefits and a £6,576 car allowance per annum (or £7,476 per annum for PHEV/EV drivers only).

Location: Homebased

Hours: 35 hours per week, from 9.00 to 5.00, Monday to Friday

Main duties of the job

To assess the performance of registered pharmacy premises against the standards for registered pharmacies through a programme of inspections in line with our approach to inspections of pharmacies. Take action as appropriate to ensure that pharmacies make the improvements necessary to meet the standards, including statutory enforcement action where appropriate. Identify, recognise, and support good and innovative practice from services delivered from registered pharmacies through the generation of notable practice case examples published on the knowledge hub. Provide recommendations to the Registrar on the suitability for registration of new pharmacy premises. Work collaboratively with the Enforcement portfolio to provide advice on pharmacy practice to inform investigations of allegations into pharmacy professionals' fitness to practise. Work with other portfolios and teams across the organisation to engage and maintain effective relationships with Registrants and other external stakeholders to promote good pharmacy practice.

About us

We are a respected regulatory body that regulates pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacies in Great Britain. We work to assure and improve standards of care for people using pharmacy services.

Our organisation has a long-term vision and a desire for highly skilled and specialist staff. We are committed to providing workforce learning and development opportunities.

We are proud of our diverse and inclusive culture and are committed to holding ourselves to the same standards we expect of others.

Job responsibilities

Schedule and deliver a programme of monitoring and inspection of registered pharmacies in accordance with the policies and procedures of the GPhC. Ensure outcomes of inspections are consistently in line with the inspection decision-making framework, ensuring that all judgments are auditable and that published inspection reports meet quality and in-house style standards and requirements.

Make professional evidence-based judgments on whether a pharmacy is meeting the standards. Where pharmacies are not meeting the standards, ensure that improvements are made through continued engagement with the pharmacy using non-statutory and, where appropriate, statutory enforcement action.

Undertake visits to pharmacy premises applying to join the register to check their ability to meet the premises standards at opening. Make evidence-based recommendations to the Registrar in line with policy and procedures on suitability to register, including whether any conditions should be considered.

Establish and sustain effective working relationships with registrants, healthcare providers, and other relevant stakeholders, and where appropriate, undertake joint working with other inspectorates.

Work collaboratively with the Enforcement portfolio to help inform their investigations into registrants' fitness to practise in line with policies and procedures. Work collaboratively with the Concerns team, to provide advice on pharmacy practice to inform the assessment of new concerns into allegations of impaired fitness to practise of pharmacy professional registrants.

Identify, recognise, and support good and innovative practice in registered pharmacy premises through the generation of notable practice case studies published on the knowledge hub.

Work with other portfolios and teams across the GPhC as appropriate, for example, the Policy and Standards and Communications teams. Identify opportunities for promoting the work of the GPhC and provide advice and secure assurance of standards of good practice through presentations and other engagement with Registrants and stakeholders within the allocated portfolio.

Collect and report all information and intelligence effectively and accurately using the appropriate data management systems so that it may be accessed and utilised across the organisation.

Maintain skills and competencies in pharmacy, medicine management, and the regulatory process by participating in appropriate training.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Pharmacist or Pharmacy Technician with substantial recent experience of delivery of pharmacy services, preferably in a community or independent setting. Prescribing qualification and/or experience in clinical services are desirable.

Experience

• A solid understanding of the GPhC's statutory responsibilities, relevant legislative frameworks, operational standards, and a good understanding of the challenges facing retail community pharmacies.
• Able to carry out professional inspections and provide advice or take enforcement action where appropriate.
• Able to work independently with little supervision and build collaborative partnerships with teams, stakeholders, and partners.
• IT competency in Microsoft Office and ability to quickly adapt to other IT systems (e.g., databases).
• Full UK driving license.
• Experience in using technology in pharmacy services, including hub and spoke dispensing, robotic dispensing, and/or advanced technologies.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A DBS check is required to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Depending on experience, starting from £45,891 per annum.