What is a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA)?

Southend-on-Sea Health and Wellbeing Board is hosted by Southend-on-Sea City Council. The government requires all Health and Wellbeing Boards to produce an assessment of NHS related pharmaceutical service in its area every three years. The next assessment is due by the end of the September 2022. This document is called the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA).

The PNA is a report of the present needs for pharmaceutical services. It is used to identify any gaps in current services or improvements that could be made in future pharmaceutical service provision.

What are Pharmaceutical Services?

Pharmaceutical services are one of the many services currently provided under the NHS by community pharmacies and include:

• dispensing of medicines and appliances on prescription
• sale of medicines to the public
• providing advice to the public on medicines, coping with ill health or general health and well being
• receiving waste medicines for safe destruction

Who will use the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment?

The PNA will be used by NHS England, Southend-on-Sea City Council, and the Clinical Commissioning Group in Southend-on-Sea to make decisions when applications for new pharmacies are received, and for the commissioning of other services that could be delivered by community pharmacies and other providers.

Who are we consulting and why?

We are required to consult with any patient, consumer or community group in the City who has an interest in the provision of pharmaceutical services.

It is assumed that everyone living in Southend-on-Sea may require services provided by community pharmacies and appliance contractors. We are therefore consulting with the entire resident population of Southend-on-Sea and welcome the views from anyone living in Southend-on-Sea or anyone providing pharmaceutical services in Southend-on-Sea. Your comments will inform the final Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment which will be produced by 1^st October 2022.

When will the consultation take place?

The consultation will take place from 9th May until 8th July 2022.

Please access the Southend-on-Sea Draft PNA 2022 in the right hand column. Click on the link below to access the survey and tell us your views.

Printed copies are available on request. Please contact:

PNA Team, Soar Beyond Ltd

Email: info@soarbeyond.co.uk

or call 01442 927 972