Welcome

Lone working in pharmacy does not only mean being the only pharmacist on duty. Pharmacy technicians, dispensers, medicines counter staff, delivery drivers, managers, locums, trainees, cleaners and others may work without close or direct supervision: in the shop, consultation room, stock area, while opening or closing, or when travelling or making deliveries.

This course is for anyone who may sometimes work alone in or outside the pharmacy. It draws on Great Britain HSE and GPhC guidance on lone working, work-related violence, journeys, first aid and safe pharmacy services. Scotland and Wales follow the same broad HSE/GPhC framework; Northern Ireland uses equivalent arrangements through HSENI and the PSNI regulator. Always follow local employer policies, SOPs and escalation routes.

Why This Course Matters

• Things can go wrong faster when no one is nearby: injury, sudden illness, violence or security incidents, and simple errors may become more serious if immediate help is not available.
• Lone working affects many staff roles: opening, cashing up, home deliveries, late cover, stockroom work, private consultations and travel all create lone-working risk.
• There is no general legal ban on lone working: employers must assess and control risks and decide when a task, time, place or person should not work alone.
• Personal safety and patient safety overlap: a worker who feels unsafe, trapped, rushed or unsupported is more exposed to error, aggression or missed escalation.
• Good systems reduce risk: training, check-ins, alarms, safer environments, emergency plans and incident reporting help prevent ad hoc lone working from becoming hazardous.

How This Course Will Help You

On completion you should be better able to spot lone-working situations, apply risk assessment and supervision principles, work more safely in and out of the pharmacy, respond to aggression or emergencies, and escalate unsafe lone-working arrangements before harm occurs.

A Simple 6-Step Lone Working Spine

If you want one practical framework to carry through the whole course, use this:

• Know the task: be clear what you are expected to do, what you are not expected to do, and when a job should not be done alone.
• Check the setting: consider time, access, lighting, exits, parking, public contact and any known hazards.
• Keep in touch: follow check-in arrangements, know how to raise the alarm and make sure someone knows where you are.
• Trust warning signs: if a person, place or situation feels unsafe, pause and reassess rather than continuing automatically.
• Leave and escalate early: personal safety comes before stock, cash, pride or finishing the task at all costs.
• Report and review: incidents, near misses and patterns should prompt changes to the system, not just affect the next shift.