DH guidance on PNA regulations

25 May 2010

On 30 March 2010 the DH produced guidance entitled Pharmacy in England: Building on strengths - delivering the future - Regulations under the Health Act 2009: Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments.  This document provides information to assist PCTs in publishing their pharmaceutical needs assessments. It explains and expands on regulations to the Health Act 2009 (SI 2010/914).

Updated: 4 August 2010

Following queries from PCTs, chapter 4 of the DH guidance document will be amended to clarify the difference between "Other relevant services: current provision" (paragraph 3, Schedule 3A) and "Other NHS services" (paragraph 6, Schedule 3A).  In the meantime PCTs may like to note that paragraph 3 of Schedule 3A sets out three further requirements to be included in the PNA if the PCT has identified such requirements.

First, the PNA should include details of services which are not necessary to meet local needs but nonetheless secure improvements or better access to services (paragraph 3(a), Schedule 3A).  An example of this might include wholly distance selling pharmacies within the PCT area.

Second, the PNA should identify services provided outside the area of the PCT but which nonetheless achieve the same results for their area (paragraph 3(b), Schedule 3A). Examples of this could be where there are a number of pharmacies just across the PCT border but which are used by people in the PCT area.

Third, the PNA should identify services which although they are not pharmaceutical services as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 3A nonetheless affect the PCT's assessment of the overall need for services in its area (paragraph 3(c), Schedule 3A). This will most likely apply to providers in the PCT's area who offer the equivalent of advanced and local enhanced services. For example, the PCT knows that a number of surgeries are providing stop smoking services, or emergency hormonal contraception is available at some of its pharmacies but is also available through family planning and sexual health clinics in the area. PCTs may wish to present this information in their PNAs in order to show whether gaps in such services exist or not locally, or whether access or services would be improved if pharmacies were to offer them.