Health and Wellbeing Boards across England are currently preparing a document that shapes the delivery of NHS pharmaceutical services such as dispensing medicines. The new documents will be published in every HWB area by 1 October 2025. 

These documents, known as Pharmaceutical Needs Assessments (PNA), look at the demographics and health needs of the population both now and over the three-year lifetime of the document. They identify the current provision of NHS pharmaceutical services and identify any gaps now and in the future, which could include the need to open a new pharmacy.

PNAs include a large amount of information relevant to the area including the demography of its population (which will include visitors to its area), the different needs of the different localities, and how these factors will change during the three-year lifetime of the document, for example because of housing developments and regeneration projects.

As well as engaging with local service providers such as pharmacies and GPs, HWBs, as an NHS England organisation, will engage with the public to understand the services they access at pharmacies, how they travel to, and when they use pharmacies, as well as other influences on their choice of pharmacy. This information will help inform decisions as to whether there is a good geographical spread of pharmacies, that are open at the times required, and that are providing the services required to meet the population’s health needs – now and in the future.

In rural areas it is particularly important that the services of NHS dispensing GPs are noted as inappropriately documented gaps in the overall service provision could lead to a successful application to open a new pharmacy.

A pharmacy opening in a rural area will have an impact on any dispensing doctors providing services to that area.

The DDA would encourage all relevant parties including local people to ensure that these important documents consider the existing NHS GP dispensing service in their area.

For more information: About Dispensing Practice | Dispensing Doctors' Association