Pharmaceutical needs assessment

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 created Health and Wellbeing Boards which took over responsibility for developing and updating a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for the local area from outgoing Primary Care Trusts.

The NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 requires the Bracknell Forest Health and Wellbeing Board to:

  • Make a revised assessment as soon as is reasonably practicable after identifying changes to the need for pharmaceutical services which are of a significant extent; and
  • Publish its first PNA by 1 April 2015
  • Publish a revised assessment within three years of publication of its first assessment

Purpose of Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNA)

PNAs are key documents for NHS England as they inform its decisions on applications to open new pharmacies and dispensing appliance contractor premises.

PNAs also inform commissioning of enhanced services from pharmacies by NHS England and other commissioners.  Enhanced services are services such as anti-coagulation monitoring, the provision of advice and support to residents and staff in care homes in connection with drugs and appliances, on demand availability of specialist drugs, and out-of-hours services.

Where it is deemed that producing a new PNA would be a disproportionate response, supplementary statements to the PNA will be produced, which will identify the nature of the changes to services.

Key documents

PNA 2018-2021

Bracknell Forest PNA 2018 to 2021

  • Appendix A – Berkshire PNA Pharmacy Survey 2017
  • Appendix B – Berkshire PNA Public Survey 2017
  • Appendix C – Opening times for pharmacies and dispensaries in Bracknell Forest
  • Appendix D – Equalities Screening Record for Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (Bracknell Forest)
  • Appendix E – PNA Consultation process and feedback report (Bracknell Forest)
  • Appendix F – Berkshire PNA Formal Consultation Survey 2017
  • Map 1 Pharmaceutical Services in Bracknell Forest
  • Map 2 Bracknell Forest pharmacies and Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 by Lower Super Output Area
  • Map 3 Bracknell Forest pharmacies and population density by ward
  • Map 4 Bracknell Forest pharmacies and weekend opening
  • Map 5 Bracknell Forest pharmacies and evening opening
  • Map 6 Residents of Bracknell Forest who can access a pharmacy within a 5 and 10 minute drive
  • Map 7 Residents of Bracknell Forest who can access a pharmacy within a 15 minute walk time
  • Map 8 Pharmacies inside and within 1.6km (1 mile) of Bracknell Forest border