Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments – PHAST can help.

Have you planned your Updated Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) yet?
The PNA is vital for ensuring the delivery of equitable, high quality, user friendly pharmacy services as well as identifying specific local needs.

Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment
A comprehensive PNA takes about 12 months to finalise as the process requires key stakeholder engagement and a period of public consultation.

The PNA is an important document that Health and Wellbeing Boards are required to deliver by 31st March 2018. Failure to produce a robust PNA could lead to legal challenges because of the PNA’s relevance to decisions about commissioning services and new pharmacy openings, particularly in light of the pharmacy contract changes.

How can PHAST help you?
PHAST has proven expertise and recent experience in producing the 2015 PNAs. Our PHAST Team can help you achieve this important requirement. We have Associates who have successfully delivered past PNAs, including not only overall management and execution of the process, but also component parts such as stakeholder engagement, gathering and analysing evidence, drafting the reports and running the statutory consultation process. As necessary we can draw on a wider pool of public health specialists and analysts who have specialised in Needs Assessments and other public health needs.

PHAST also has the experience of how to efficiently gain access to data and work constructively with local stakeholder groups. Our knowledge will enable the 2018 PNA to be delivered to a high standard in a timely fashion

PHAST is a not-for-profit group of experienced public health professionals providing high quality, results-focused public health consultancy, projects and advice. It is a unique public health consultancy with over 100 experienced health professionals committed to improving the health of the population and reducing inequalities including: public health professionals; pharmacy specialists; project managers and stakeholder engagement experts.

In what ways can PHAST assist?
PHAST adopts a flexible approach in response to each client’s needs.

We can either provide full management of the PNA process, including the tools and templates to oversee the entire project and production of the final PNA on your behalf, or we support you to develop a comprehensive PNA by providing the framework and skills required for the delivery of parts of the PNA.

Whether you want a detailed PNA, or a refresh of the last one, PHAST can help. A list of detailed areas where we can assist are listed in Appendix I

Previous PNAs completed by members of the PHAST Team 
https://www.northamptonshireanalysis.co.uk/IAS/linked-data/id/resource/5F89894A-A208-4F8A-B829-5396047C442F

http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/Documents/Public-Health/JSNA/Pharmaceutical_needs_assessment_report_2015.pdf

What should I do if I am interested in using PHAST?
If you would like know more about how PHAST can assist you then please contact enquiries@phast.org.uk and we will arrange an informal discussion.

Areas in which we have expertise and can help include:

• Full planning and scoping of the PNA process
• Establishing the Governance and Terms of Reference for the PNA Steering Group
• Establishing a timetable and detailed project management and mobilisation plan
• Working with others within Local Authorities
• Working with Health and Wellbeing Boards
• Working with local pharmacy services
• Working with CSUs and NHS England
• Understanding the national context for Pharmacy Services
• Developing a RAG rated risk log
• Establishing a stakeholder engagement plan
• Engagement with patient groups and other local representative groups
• Setting up and supporting management and stakeholder meetings
• Questionnaire for community pharmacies
• Questionnaire for pharmacy users
• Questionnaire for key stakeholders
• Gathering and updating evidence, including health and population data, public and user surveys, pharmacy details and services, information from neighbouring LAs
• Drafting the report for consultation
• Mapping for the PNA
• Draft PNA document for consultation
• Equality Impact Analysis (EIA)
• Developing a 60-day consultation project plan
• Running and supporting the statutory consultation process
• 60-day Consultation and Findings Report
• Updating and finalising the report following consultation.
• Delivering a final fit for purpose PNA that meets the requirements of the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013
• Recommendations for maintaining PNA post publication
• Template for supplementary statements after publication

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