Pharmacies throughout the UK are developing innovative ways to tackle Covid-19 in their local areas, the General Pharmaceutical Council said as it launched a new pharmacy inspections knowledge hub logging notable practice relating to the pandemic.

Current examples documented on the hub include setting up a Whatsapp group to help pharmacies in a local area support one another, share information and ensure patient safety throughout the crisis; a pharmacy delivering essential groceries to vulnerable patients with no access to support from friends or family, along with their prescriptions; and a pharmacy working with the local community, including reaching out to local military barracks, a church and the parish council, to set up a system to support people receiving their medicine.

These examples are being collected by GPhC inspectors who have been providing support to registered pharmacies and discussing their plans and arrangements during the Covid-19 pandemic. The GPhC suspended routine inspections of pharmacies and producing inspection reports on March 17.

The GPhC encourages people working across community pharmacy to use the examples on the knowledge hub to learn from others and continuously improve outcomes for people using their pharmacy’s services during the Covid-19 pandemic.