Agenda item

The Board considered a report setting out the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for Bracknell Forest.

Responsibility for the development and updating of PNAs passed to Health and Wellbeing Boards following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.   The PNA provided a statement of the needs for pharmaceutical services of a population setting out information on the pharmaceutical services currently provided and identifying gaps in the current service provision. Once approved the PNA would be used by NHS England, local Clinical Commissioning Groups and Public Health functions to help inform future commissioning decisions.

The PNA had been informed by public events and a survey.  Across the Berkshire area, Bracknell Forest had received the highest per capita return rate of all the Berkshire unitary authorities with 390 completed questionnaires being returned.

Feedback from the recent Self Care Week promotional work had identified that obtaining access to information relating to out of hours pharmacies was an issue for local residents.  It was agreed that the Public Health Team would work with the local pharmaceutical committee to develop an up to date resource and this would then be made available online and publicised by the Clinical Commissioning Group and Healthwatch.

Hospital based pharmacies were not classified as community pharmacies and did not offer the same range of over the counter services as community pharmacies.  It was acknowledged that patients taking prescriptions issued by hospitals to community pharmacies was causing a resource issue and these concerns would be taken up with the appropriate advisory committees.

RESOLVED that the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment, attached as an annex to the Strategic Director for Public Health’s report, and its associated recommendations be approved.