The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) carries out inspections pursuant to two main sections of the Pharmacy Act 2007:-
- Inspections are carried out under Section 19 as part of the registration process for retail pharmacy businesses. Prescriptions are not reviewed as part of these inspections.
- Inspections are carried out under Section 67 to review compliance with the Pharmacy Act, regulations made thereunder and medicines legislation including the Medicinal Products (Prescription & Control of Supply) Regulations 2003 (as amended). Prescriptions are reviewed as part of these inspections.
The data obtained during inspections in 2011 and 2012 was not recorded on a computer database. Therefore the PSI manually checked 20% of inspection reports in order to ascertain the average number of prescriptions checked per inspection completed during 2011 and 2012 respectively. The figures set out below are based on these calculations. Detailed information regarding regulatory compliance with prescription legislation is not readily available for 2011 and 2012.
2011
|
Year
|
Inspection Type
|
Number of Inspections
Completed
|
Prescriptions Checked
|
|
2011
|
Section 19
Inspections
|
95
|
Not applicable
|
|
2011
|
Section 67 Inspections
|
170
|
An average of 4.12 prescriptions were checked per pharmacy inspected.
|
2012
|
Year
|
Inspection Type
|
Number of Inspections
Completed
|
Prescriptions Checked
|
|
2012
|
Section 19
Inspections
|
97
|
Not applicable
|
|
2012
|
Section 67 Inspections
|
75
|
An average of 6.6 prescriptions were checked per pharmacy inspected.
|
Inspection findings are recorded in a computerised database since the start of 2013. The figures set out below represents actual figures for 2013.
2013
As at the 25th February
2013, the PSI has carried out a total of 96 inspections of retail pharmacy businesses.
|
Year
|
Inspection Type
|
Number of Inspections
Completed
|
Prescriptions
Checked
|
Unable to provide a
copy of the prescription
|
Regulatory Defect
|
|
2013
|
Section 19
Inspections
|
10
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
|
2013
|
Section 67 Inspections
|
86
The results of 68 inspections have been recorded / analysed in the computerised database.
|
A total of 272 prescriptions were checked across 68 inspections.
An average of 4 prescriptions were checked per pharmacy inspected.
|
Retail Pharmacy Businesses were unable to provide the prescription in the case of 49 (18.01%) prescriptions requested.
|
Regulatory defects were noted in respect of 165
(60.66%) prescriptions reviewed.
|
It should be noted that failure to present the prescription does not necessarily constitute a regulatory defect. There are circumstances where pharmacies are legally entitled to return prescriptions to patients.
