Decision details

Following presentation to the Board on 9 December 2014, the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment commenced its 60 day consultation process on 19 December 2014.  The consultation is due to end on 16 February 2015. 

The Board will be asked to sign off the PNA for publication by the statutory deadline of 1 April 2015.

Having received and discussed the report and PNA, the Board:

(i)  Noted the consultation results and findings:

a)  Barking and Dagenham HWB had 38 community pharmacies;

b)  This equated to about 19.6 community pharmacies per 100,000 population - which was lower than the average for London (22.3/100,000) and England (21.7/100,000);

c)  Of these community pharmacies, 79% were open weekday evenings, 97% were open on Saturdays, and 18% were open on Sundays;

d)  Half of the pharmacies in Barking and Dagenham were owned by independents, compared to 39% nationally;

e)  From a pharmacy user survey taken in the autumn last year (480 responses) 91% rated the service received from pharmacies in Barking and Dagenham as good or excellent; 82% indicated that they did not have a preferred pharmacy they used; 85% said the ease of obtaining medicines was good or excellent; 71% said their journey time to a pharmacy was no more than 10 minutes;

f)  Pharmacies in Barking and Dagenham are commissioned to provide services on behalf of NHS England, Barking and Dagenham CCG, and Barking and Dagenham Council;

g)  The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment did not find any gap in provision or access to services provided from community pharmacies in Barking and Dagenham, either now or in the next 3 years;

h)  The work that was being undertaken to enable finalisation by 1 April 2015; and,

(ii)  Agreed the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), as set out in the Appendix 3 of the report.