On 22nd March 2018, Oxfordshire’s Health & Wellbeing Board approved the revised Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for Oxfordshire.

This includes maps showing location of pharmacists and GP dispensing practices within the county and within each district.

The purpose of the PNA is to assess and set out how the provision of pharmaceutical services can meet the health needs of the population of a Health and Wellbeing Board’s (HWB) area for a period of up to three years, linking closely to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA).

The PNA looks at how some health needs can be met by pharmaceutical services commissioned by NHS England.

As well as identifying if there is a need for additional premises, the PNA identifies whether improvements or better access to existing services are required. Identified needs, improvements or better access could be current or may arise within the lifetime of the PNA (3 years).

Supplementary statements will be published alongside the PNA with relevant changes of location, name or opening hours. Whilst the PNA is primarily a document for NHS England to use to make commissioning decisions, it may also be used by local authorities (LA) and clinical commissioning groups (CCG).

If you have any questions please get in touch with Sue Lygo.