Unplanned Closures

Temporary suspension forms

Any closures, planned or unplanned should be notified to NHS England using the form that can be found here.

A pharmacy checklist can be found here

To support your decision making process and also things you need to consider when you close, please review the questions below and ensure you have considered each one.

This should be used for situations such as: No pharmacist, closures due to weather, closures due to other unforeseen circumstances.

1. Who has managerial responsibility and is managing operational processes?
2. What telephone number can we use if we need to make immediate contact?
3. Are notices clearly displayed for the public explaining how long the pharmacy is expected to be non-operational?
4. Are notices clearly displayed for the public signposting to the closest pharmacy?
5. What action is being taken for prescriptions already in possession of the pharmacy that are awaiting collection?
6. What action is being taken with prescriptions that are waiting to be processed?
7. What action is being taken regarding clients on daily pick-up?
8. Has the pharmacy checked for urgent prescriptions that need to be sorted the same day?
9. Has anything been done to prevent this particular situation happening again?
10. Has the local GP practice been informed that the pharmacy is non-operational?
11. Which agency/locum was concerned with this closure, (if applicable)?

People to consider informing:

1. NHS England (on the form above)
2. Your local surgeries
3. Surrounding pharmacies
   1. These may be able to help to keep you open by sharing resources
4. Your shared care team (support for supervised consumption patients)
   1. Inform them of any client’s who have NOT collected.  This helps if additional scripts have to be generated
   2. Also consider client’s key workers
   3. Can you phone client’s to ask them to come in before you close?
5. Patient’s with urgent medication
   1. Can you call them?
   2. Can you deliver them before the pharmacy closes?