The Pharmaceutical Needs Survey (PNA) has concluded that community pharmacies are well distributed throughout the borough.
Access to the 32 pharmacies is good, with 40% of residents living within a five minute walk to a pharmacy, 74% within a ten-minute walk, and 99% within a 20-minute walk.
The PNA also found that community pharmacies provide a wide range of services including the NHS Advanced services and locally commissioned services which contribute to improving the health and
wellbeing of the people of South Tyneside.
The Health and Social Care Act 2012 transferred the responsibility for developing and updating pharmaceutical needs assessments from Primary Care Trusts to Health & Wellbeing Boards with a requirement to publish the first PNA by 1 April 2015 and at minimum every three subsequent years.
The pharmaceutical needs assessment is used by NHS England in its consideration of applications to join the pharmaceutical list, and by commissioners of community pharmacy enhanced and locally commissioned services to make decisions on how to best meet the needs of the local population.
It looks at the current and future provision of pharmacy services and assesses whether there are any potential gaps in service delivery.
South Tyneside Health and Wellbeing Board has just published the 100-page PNA report, compiled with the support of Healthwatch South Tyneside which helped promote the survey which more than 130 people took part in.
It also includes a detailed analysis of the borough’s demographic make-up and health indices.
A full copy can be downloaded here.
