Pharmacy Design
Oct 1982 Council Report
Council adopted a series of guidelines for pharmacists in pharmacy design. These guidelines are not legally binding on a pharmacist, but would service as advice to those persons contemplating design changes in pharmacies. These guidelines are as follow:
- Every pharmacy should incorporate an area into it's design for the exclusive purpose of consultation with the patient, that will minimize distractions and provide the necessary degree of confidentiality and privacy which will facilitate both verbal counselling and the discussion of supportive written prescription advisory leaflets or supplementary information on medication; also that local physicians be informed that drug counselling is being carried out in the pharmacy in this matter.
- A suitable fitting room of approximately 4 square meters should be used in a pharmacy for the exclusive purpose, where ostomy, trusses, orthopaedic, urologic and other medical appliances that require personal fittings are to be sold. Such room should have a lockable door, an examination (fitting) facilities are not near by, mirror and dressing table. The room should be well lighted, ventilated and maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times. Surgical appliance fitter (technician) certificates should be displayed in a visible area.
- Washroom facilities for staff should be conveniently available since a pharmacist must be present in a pharmacy at all times when it is open to the public.
- Every pharmacy provide a suitably furnished area for use by patients who are waiting for professional services. In designing a patient waiting area, it would be helpful to include provision for a rack for health information materials.
A special area be set aside for pharmacy office work. While it is recognized that certain record-keeping must be done at the prescription counter, this space should not be allotted for the principal purpose of office work.
In considering pharmacy design, a pharmacist take those steps that are deemed appropriate to protect drug supplies for which he or she is responsible: the following taken from "Principles and Guidelines/Security in Drug Distribution for Narcotic and Other Psychoactive Drugs (BDD, June, 1997)" are designed to meet this goal:
- the pharmacy has adequate alarm systems that will protect the total or premises as well as the drug storage areas. Signs should be located at all entrances advising the public that premises are protected by an alarm system.
- there is proper locked storage area suitable to ensure the security of those quantities of drugs being stocked -- such quantities should be consistent with prescription demand...;
- there is adequate lighting and the internal floor plan of a pharmacy and storage of drugs are such as to discourage 'grab and run' technique of thieving drugs. This technique frequently involves two persons, one of whom diverts the pharmacist from the dispensary while the other grabs the drug from stock;
- access to drug storage areas is limited to authorized persons. Use of dispensary and other drug storage areas by salesmen, medical detail men, delivery drivers, etc., is to be discouraged and, where possible, prohibited."
