Pharmaciae (SAPC) | Review of Grading Methodology

Review of Grading Methodology

Since 2009 all inspections conducted by Council have resulted in pharmacies receiving a grading. This grading has been worked out on a scoring matrix which has remained relatively untouched since inception. The time has come to review the way inspection grading is calculated.

Council is reviewing the Inspection scoring matrix for the grading of pharmacy premises. Stakeholders were invited to share their valued input on the proposed Scoring Matrix during meetings held in October and November 2018. The selected stakeholders were:

Representatives of the profession: Heads of pharmaceutical services (groups, metro and provincial) and heads of professional associations which consisted of 36 members.
Decision makers with the regard to inspection questionnaires: 14 Practice Committee members
Implementers of the inspection questionnaires: 31 Compliance Officers (previously Council Inspectors)
Evaluators of the inspection questionnaires: 17 SAPC staff members

When grading was introduced in 2009, various sections of the inspection questionnaire were assigned weightings according to their level of importance. A seven-point Likert scale was used to assign a weight to each section in the inspection questionnaire as depicted in table 1 below. It was further envisaged that, over time, all sections would be weighted equally as the Rules relating to good pharmacy practice recognise all sections as equally important.

Table 1: Seven point Likert weighting scale

To this end, Council has initiated a process to review the grading methodology. As part of this process, a new three-point Likert weighting scale will be introduced to assign weights to the sections on the inspection questionnaire as per table 2 below.

Table 2: Three-point Likert weighting scale

A pilot to establish the impact of the change will be conducted retrospectively using data for inspections conducted previously and prospectively, using inspection results for inspections conducted early in 2019. During the first six months in 2019, grading outcomes will not be released while Council evaluates the impact of the change.