# GPhC Pharmacy Standards Explained | Pick My Pharmacy URL: https://pickmypharmacy.co.uk/answers/what-standards-must-uk-pharmacies-meet/ Description: The GPhC sets nine standards for pharmacy professionals and five principles for registered pharmacies in Great Britain — what they mean for you. --- - [Home](/) - /[Answers](/answers/) - /What standards must UK pharmacies and pharmacists meet? Choosing a Pharmacy # What standards must UK pharmacies and pharmacists meet? By [Kaiser Khan](/author/kaiser-khan/) · Updated 15 July 2026 In short Every pharmacist and pharmacy technician in Great Britain must meet nine GPhC professional standards — including person-centred care, effective communication, professional judgement, confidentiality, and speaking up about concerns. Every registered pharmacy must meet standards built on five principles: safe and effective management, competent staff, suitable premises, safe supply of medicines and services, and safe equipment and facilities. The GPhC inspects pharmacies against these principles and publishes reports at inspections.pharmacyregulation.org. At a glance - ·Nine professional standards apply to every pharmacist and pharmacy technician - ·Five principles apply to every registered pharmacy premises - ·The GPhC inspects pharmacies and publishes outcomes: 'standards met' or 'standards not all met' - ·Inspection reports are public at inspections.pharmacyregulation.org - ·Online pharmacies are held to the same standards as high-street premises - ·Serious failures can end in a professional being struck off or a pharmacy's registration removed ## The nine standards for pharmacy professionals Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians must: provide person-centred care; work in partnership with others; communicate effectively; maintain, develop, and use their professional knowledge and skills; use professional judgement; behave in a professional manner; respect and maintain confidentiality and privacy; speak up when they have concerns; and demonstrate leadership. These are not aspirations — they are the benchmark used in fitness-to-practise cases, and a professional who falls seriously short can face conditions on their practice, suspension, or removal from the register. For patients, the practical translation is simple: you are entitled to a pharmacist who listens, explains clearly, keeps your information private, and exercises real clinical judgement rather than rubber-stamping a sale. ## The five principles for registered pharmacies Registered pharmacy premises — high street, supermarket, hospital-adjacent, or online — must meet standards organised under five principles: the pharmacy is managed safely and effectively; staff are competent and empowered to do their jobs; the premises are suitable for the services provided; medicines and services are supplied safely and effectively; and the equipment and facilities are safe and fit for purpose. A distance-selling pharmacy dispensing through a website is inspected against the same five principles as a village chemist — including how it verifies prescriptions, stores medicines, and safeguards patients it never meets face to face. ## How inspections work and where to read reports The GPhC inspects registered pharmacies and records an overall outcome: 'standards met' or 'standards not all met', with principle-by-principle findings that can also highlight best practice. Reports are published at inspections.pharmacyregulation.org, where you can search by pharmacy name or registration number. A 'standards not all met' outcome triggers an improvement action plan the pharmacy must complete. When we hold a published inspection outcome for a pharmacy in our directory, we show it on the profile with a link to the report — and an adverse published outcome is reflected in our rating. We only ever use the published report itself, never inference. ## What this means when choosing a pharmacy Registration is the floor, not the ceiling: every legitimate pharmacy meets it, so use registration to rule out illegal sellers, then use service fit — NHS services, private prices, delivery, specialisms — to choose between legitimate ones. If you want extra assurance about a specific pharmacy, look up its latest inspection report before you commit, especially for online pharmacies handling higher-risk prescribing such as weight-loss services. And if a pharmacy falls short of these standards in a way that risks safety, you can report it to the GPhC — see our guide to reporting concerns. Next step ## Compare Pharmacies for What You Need See NHS services, private prices, and reviews side by side — GPhC-checked, free, and no obligation. Pharmacies you don't pick never see your details. [Browse pharmacies](/pharmacies/)[Prescription Cost calculators →](/calculators/) ## People Also Ask Are online pharmacies inspected too?+ Yes. Distance-selling pharmacies are registered premises and are inspected against the same five principles. In England, a linked online prescribing service must additionally be CQC-registered — the CQC regulates the prescriber, the GPhC regulates the pharmacy. What happens if a pharmacy fails an inspection?+ The report is published as 'standards not all met' and the pharmacy must complete an improvement action plan. Serious or persistent failures can lead to enforcement action against the premises registration. Can I read a pharmacy's inspection report?+ Yes — reports are public at inspections.pharmacyregulation.org. Search by the pharmacy's name or GPhC registration number, which you can take from any pharmacy profile on this site. Keep reading - [What is the GPhC (General Pharmaceutical Council)?](/answers/what-is-the-gphc/) - [How do I report a concern about a pharmacy or pharmacist?](/answers/how-do-i-report-a-concern-about-a-pharmacy/) - [Are online pharmacies safe to use?](/answers/are-online-pharmacies-safe/) - [What is a superintendent pharmacist?](/answers/what-is-a-superintendent-pharmacist/) - [GPhC standards for pharmacy professionals](https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/pharmacists/standards-and-guidance-pharmacy-professionals) - [Published inspection reports](https://inspections.pharmacyregulation.org/) **Affiliate disclosure:**Pick My Pharmacy is free to use. We may earn a fee when you visit a referral partner or send a private-service enquiry. That never changes ratings, match results, or the prices you pay. Outbound partner links userel="sponsored". See[affiliate compliance](/methodology/#affiliate-compliance)and[how we make money](/how-it-works/). This article is general information for UK patients, not medical advice, and NHS rules and charges change — confirm current rules on [nhs.uk](https://www.nhs.uk) or speak to a pharmacist or GP before acting. For urgent medical help call NHS 111, or 999 in an emergency. Price figures are indicative benchmarks from our[methodology](/methodology/).