The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) being undertaken by NHS Rotherham is looking at services such as dispensing medicines, advice on medicines, medicines use reviews, public health education and specific services which pharmacies are required to provide.

A number of stakeholders (including community pharmacists, dispensing GP practices, Rotherham Council, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and neighbouring primary care trusts) have been identified and invited to contribute during the consultation phase that takes place between now and 24th October.

Members of the public were surveyed in June to find out whether they access pharmaceutical services in their local pharmacy or GP practice and which services they use. The results from this survey will help us to understand how local people use pharmacy services, and what they would like for the future.

Sue Wright, Senior Pharmaceutical and Prescribing Advisor at NHS Rotherham said: “To provide a good service we need to review on a regular basis, the services our pharmacies provide, what our local people need and how things might change in the future. Through the development of a PNA we will be able to look at how best to commission or buy the services the public in Rotherham need from their pharmacies. The assessment is also designed to establish if there are any gaps in services, to explore future provision and potential new services.”

Once all current pharmacy services have been identified and possible future provision has been explored, NHS Rotherham will produce the PNA that will identify the services that NHS Rotherham might want to commission and how.

[The consultation has now closed.]

The Government has asked all primary care trusts to undertake a PNA and to publish the results by 1st February 2011.