‘The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 placed a requirement on Local Health Boards to produce Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNA) and to publish their first PNA by 1st October 2021.
The intended effect of a PNA is to enable understanding of the pharmaceutical needs of our local population and use this to improve the planning, commissioning and delivery of pharmaceutical services. To identify where additional contractor premises may be needed (pharmacy contractor and appliance contractor), where additional dispensing by doctors is required to meet identified unmet needs and also to determine where existing contractors are adequately addressing pharmaceutical needs.
A Supplementary Statement records changes to the provision of pharmacy services since the publication of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment. Supplementary Statements are issued for opening or closure of pharmacies or when there are pharmaceutical needs assessment changes that are minor and would be relevant for granting of applications. Once issued, a supplementary statement becomes part of the PNA.
This PNA will be published by 1st October 2021 and have a maximum lifespan of five years. It is available in English and in Welsh.