THE Victorian Pharmacy Authority (VPA) has not detected any unlawful ownership of pharmacies in the state, after conducting 45 audits in 2020 under its ongoing Pharmacy Ownership Audit Program.
The scheme is part of the Authority's "commitment to ensuring that all pharmacies in Victoria are owned, operated and controlled only by registered pharmacists, in accordance with the Pharmacy Regulation Act 2010".
2020 was the second year that the program had been in place, with the Authority initially selecting 101 pharmacies to undergo an ownership audit, and a further 11 for a financial audit in the 2019 calendar year.
The first year of the program saw 35 ownership audits undertaken, and two financial audits, while in 2020 a further 45 ownership audits and one financial audit were undertaken from the pharmacies selected in the previous year.
"These audits have not identified any cases of silent or undeclared ownership," according to a newly released report on the program.
"A major barrier to progress in 2020 has been delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic," the Authority noted, with licensees given ample time to respond to audits with due consideration for the challenges presented by sustained lockdowns.
The ownership audits conducted did in some cases identify "potential non-compliance with the control and undue influence provisions of the Act," the report said, but these instances involved franchisees operating pharmacies pursuant to franchise agreements which were already undergoing a formal legal review for compliance.
The Authority has revised its annual target to 40 ownership audits for 2021, including at least 10 financial audits.
The full report from the audit program's second year of operation is online at pharmacy.vic.gov.au.
MEANWHILE an update from the VPA on recent activity has highlighted several cases where inspectors found pharmacies had no dose administration aid (DAA) packing records, noting that even in cases where a third party is engaged to pack DAAs, records should be kept of any changes made at the pharmacy.
The inspectors also observed instances where filled Return of Unused Medicines (RUM) bins were stored in insecure locations such as storerooms to which all staff members have unrestricted access.
"Returned or expired medicines/filled RUM bins should be stored in the dispensary or in another part of the premises under lock and key to prevent unauthorised access," the Authority reminded pharmacists.
The report also noted several instances where VPA inspectors have found the keys to the S8 drug safe were left insecure on the pharmacy premises during business hours or overnight.
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