Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Director of Public Health.

The local Health and Wellbeing Board has a duty to prepare and publish a regular Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) that are comprehensive assessments of the current and anticipated pharmaceutical needs of the community to assist local commissioners (particularly NHS England) and service providers by giving an evidence base for how best to plan and commission pharmacy services to meet the needs of the population.

A full review of the Stockport PNA is being undertaken in 2017-18 to update the understanding of the priority needs of the population and meet statutory duty to publish an update in April 2018.

This report presents the draft Stockport PNA 2018 for consideration and comment by the Stockport Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to give comments for each of the consultation questions as follows:

·         The document sets out the draft results of the pharmaceutical needs assessment for Stockport. Does it achieve this?

·         Do you know of any relevant information that has not been included which could affect the statements or conclusions in this document? If yes, then please provide the additional information.

·         This document shows that pharmaceutical provision within Stockport is satisfactory with limited identified gaps. Do you agree with this statement? If you do not agree, what else should be considered?

·         Are there any issues raised in the Making the Most of Community Pharmacy review that are not sufficiently referenced within this PNA?

Officer contact: Eleanor Banister, 0161 474 2447, eleanor.banister@stockport.gov.uk

The Deputy Director of Public Health submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Scrutiny Committee to consider the draft Stockport Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), the comprehensive assessments of the current and anticipated pharmaceutical needs of the community. The PNA would assist local commissioners and service providers by giving an evidence base for how best to plan and commission pharmacy services to meet the needs of the population.

A full review of the Stockport PNA was being undertaken in 2017-18, including a consultation process, prior to agreement by the Health & Wellbeing Board and subsequent publication in April 2018.

The Cabinet Member for Health (Councillor Tom McGee) attended the meeting to respond to questions from councillors.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The report was welcomed, as was the identification of the needs in Woodford.

·         Was there need to reference the increased move toward community based working?

·         Concern was expressed that funding reductions, combined with a drive to divert low level demands to pharmacies, would put undue pressure on community pharmacies. In response the funding challenge was acknowledged and the potential impact this may have on a number of ancillary services, such as home delivery, which had significant benefits to users.

·         Clarification was sought on commissioned smoking cessation services from pharmacies. In response it was stated the evidence suggested that most smokers would seek assistance from their GP in the first instance, or would simply use over the counter remedies of vaping, suggesting the need to evaluate the effectiveness of pharmacy services. There was also scope to improve public health/ lifestyle engagements and interventions in hospital. It was also commented that there was significant geographical variation in smoking prevalence, and commissioning tended to focus on those areas of highest need.

·         Assurance was sought that the move to electronic dispensing would not disadvantage older or vulnerable residents. In response it was stated pharmacies, which were businesses, recognised the need to provide services to meet the needs of their populations, and since the most medicines was dispensed to older people community pharmacies often provided home delivery services, and other facilities. It was further commented that for some residents home deliveries could provide additional challenges if they were unwell and deliveries needed to be signed for.

·         Clarification was sought on the regulation of internet pharmacies and whether this matched the standards of level as community pharmacies. In response it was stated that the Council and other commissioners had taken a strong line on internet pharmacies and had used their powers to object to some operators who were using residential premises etc. The move toward seven day GP working may change patterns of community pharmacy operations to the detriment of internet pharmacy. .

·         Concern was expressed about the limited availability of emergency contraception and its concentration in Stockport Town Centre and along the A6. In response it was stated that evidence suggested that those accessing this provision preferred the anonymity of town centre provision. Given the limited funding available it was important to ensure that facilities were provided from where it was most effective.

·         Assurance was sought that concerns about communications and information sharing between pharmacies and GPs raised previously as part of a Scrutiny Review were being addressed. In response it was stated that progress was being made, although these were complex issues that took time.

RESOLVED – (1) That the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment be noted.

(2) That in response to the consultation question posed in the report the Scrutiny Committee:

·         agrees that the document sets out the draft results of the pharmaceutical needs assessment for Stockport;

·         does not know of any relevant information that has not been included which could affect the statements or conclusions in this document;

·         agrees that the document shows that pharmaceutical provision within Stockport is satisfactory with limited identified gaps;

·         does not believe there any issues raised in the Making the Most of Community  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5