Agenda item

To approve the Bracknell Forest Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment.

Lisa McNally presented the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) report on behalf of the Public Health shared team.

Lisa drew the Board’s attention to the main recommendations arising from consultation. It was recognised that the PNA was not required to address current commercial issues with pharmacies.

The Board noted concerns over the process for raising concerns about quality and accessibility of pharmacies, and agreed that these concerns should be raised separately with the chair of the Local Pharmaceutical Committee. It was stressed that a local definition of quality and expectation on pharmacies was needed.

It was commented that pharmacies should be considered as a health service rather than a transactional service. If patients could build a relationship with their pharmacist, they would be more likely to visit them with more general health concerns.

Having discussed the matter, the Health and Wellbeing Board

RESOLVED that the Bracknell Forest Council Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2018 be published on the Council website.