Clinical Governance in Quality Care 2020

Requirements containing Clinical Governance elements are a common cause for corrective action according to early assessment data from the Quality Care 2020 program.

So, what is Clinical Governance and how can you integrate it into your pharmacy? 

Clinical Governance is an aspect of organisational governance by which the pharmacy owner(s) and pharmacy staff share responsibility for patient safety and the quality of care provided, building a culture for continuous improvement of services and high standards of care.

Quality Care 2020 integrates Clinical Governance throughout the program, providing a framework to ensure pharmacy owners are accountable for and have oversight of activities and services provided in the pharmacy to maintain consistent, high quality and safe care.

Pharmacy owners can demonstrate Clinical Governance principles by:

  • Engaging with the community to design and deliver services that meet their needs
  • Ensuring systems and processes are in place for all activities and services that address patient safety and risk
  • Having systems to record, review and report on safety and quality indicators
  • Encouraging a culture in the pharmacy to continuously improve the quality of services delivered
  • Having systems in place to actively seek feedback from consumers on all activities and services

Find out more

Clinical Governance in Practice

A good example of Clinical Governance is present in the Pharmacy Management and Governance Domain.

Requirement 1.1.2: 
Establish and document a business governance agreement which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the pharmacy owners and managers. A signed attestation statement acknowledging proprietor accountability for overall safety and quality in the pharmacy.

Key areas of accountability may include: 

  • Financial governance – who is responsible for the financial performance and viability of the pharmacy?
  • Risk governance – who is responsible for identifying and mitigating risks?
  • Clinical governance – who is responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of pharmacy services and reporting on any incidents?
  • Other governance, such as human resources, and compliance with legal, regulatory and professional frameworks – who is responsible for managing staff, and overseeing compliance activities?

Visit Domain 1 on the Quality Care 2020 Knowledge Hub to explore Clinical Governance in more detail via Training Bites and FAQs.

Quality Care 2020 Knowledge Hub

Accessing the QCPP Customer Portal 

Accessing the QCPP Customer Portal is an essential step in completing a Quality Care 2020 assessment.

If no one in your pharmacy has an account yet, visit the QCPP website for more information on how to join.

Support

If you have any questions, the QCPP Support Team is here to help — please email help@qcpp.com or phone the QCPP Helpline on 1300 363 340 (9am-5pm AEDT).

To stay informed about Quality Care 2020, visit the Quality Care 2020 website.