Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Director of Public Health

The Board considered a report and presentation of Ruth Tennant, Deputy Director of Public Health concerning Coventry’s Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2015 – 2019. A copy of the assessment was set out at an appendix to the report. The PNA was a statutory requirement and must be updated at least every three years. 

The report indicated that as a result of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 the responsibility to develop and update PNAs had passed to local Health and Well-being Boards with the Department of Health having the power to make regulations.

The PNA would be used to inform NHS England in its determination as to whether to approve applications to join the pharmaceutical list. It also considered whether the number of pharmacies would still be adequate in the next four years. The PNA was also a tool used to inform commissioners of the current provision of pharmaceutical services and identify any gaps in relation to local health needs. 

The report looked at where pharmacies and dispensing practices were, when they were open and what services they offered. The main findings were that the 91 community pharmacies offered a good provision of pharmaceutical services across the city and there were sufficient contractors to meet the needs of patients and the public. There were no gaps in current provision and the city had slightly better or similar coverage than the England and West Midlands averages.

The report and presentation detailed the following recommendations for commissioning arising from the PNA:

·  To raise awareness around opening times particularly evenings and weekends

·  To work with pharmacies to increase awareness of pharmacy services

·  To increase uptake of enhanced services including the Not Dispensed service, the TB medication supervision service and the minor ailments scheme by Pharmacy contractors

·  Focus on managing the interface between community, hospital and tertiary care to reduce the risks associated with medicines

·  Develop services to support specific diseases appropriate to the needs of Coventry patients eg NHS health checks for cardiovascular disease.

The presentation highlighted the PNA process; set out the key roles for community pharmacy contractual framework; detailed the access to essential services for Coventry residents; referred to the provision of advanced services; and set out current service provision.

It was recommended that the Primary Care Quality Group be responsible for providing an overview of the strategy and recommendations.

Members of the Board raised a number of issues including:

·  Further details about the minor ailments scheme

·  The benefits of sending hospital patients to local pharmacies rather than waiting for medication from the hospital pharmacy

·  The importance of building on examples of best practice across the city

·  An appreciation of the successful working arrangements where local pharmacies are lined to GP practices.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The content of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) be approved, to allow for publication before 1^st April, 2015.

(2) The Board is satisfied with the governance arrangements relating to future use of the PNA in determining whether applications to join the pharmaceutical list are approved.

(3) The Primary Care Quality Group to be responsible for taking forward the recommendations for commissioning that have been developed through the PNA process.