Abstract

Community pharmacies provide vaccinations through nationally commissioned or private services. In Great Britain, pharmacies are regulated by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and inspected for compliance against the 26 Standards for registered pharmacies. GPhC inspection outcomes between 2022 and 2024 were examined for differences between pharmacies offering vaccination services and those who did not. Inspection data from 2197 pharmacies, consisting of 1918 (87.3%) ‘brick-and-mortar’ pharmacies and 279 (12.7%) ‘other’ types (predominantly online pharmacies) were analysed. In total, 1922 (87.5%) pharmacies met all 26 Standards. Pharmacies providing vaccinations demonstrated higher compliance with Standards relating to governance, service delivery, and suitability of premises. Independent single-owner pharmacies and independent pharmacy chains were more likely to not meet standards. A gradient effect was observed across pharmacy-ownership categories, with progressively higher odds of inspection failure as the ownership model size decreased. Analysis of inspector comments identified three key factors influencing inspection performance: governance and organisational oversight; suitability of the physical environment; and staff competence and training. Strengthening governance structures, workforce development and infrastructure support, particularly in smaller independent pharmacies, may improve consistency in regulatory compliance, and support safe, high-quality delivery of vaccination services from community pharmacies.

IPC Classification

Keywords