Residents across North Yorkshire encouraged to share their views on pharmacy services

Public Health teams from North Yorkshire and York are asking residents, partner organisations and pharmacies to share their views and experiences of pharmacy services.

They want to know whether people think existing services are in the right place, open at the right time and provide the services that are needed.

Councillor Andrew Lee, North Yorkshire’s Executive Member for Public Health, said: “Pharmacy services play a vital role in supporting health and wellbeing, with pharmacies themselves often found in the heart of our communities.

“Good access to the right services at the right time is so important in helping to address health inequalities.”

Information gathered in the consultation will be used to complete a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for each area.

NHS England uses the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) to help to make commissioning decisions about pharmacies in North Yorkshire.

The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) looks at the health needs of the population of the county, the level and accessibility of pharmacy services and how these are maintained and developed.

It informs decisions about where to site pharmacies, their opening hours and what services are provided, with the assessment renewed every three years.

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Councillor Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said: “We have seen the vital importance of pharmacy services at the heart of our communities over the last year or so.

"Making sure they are in the right places, open at the right times and providing the right services is going to be critical as we learn to live with Covid, and seek to meet other community health needs.

"I encourage all residents to take part in this important exercise, so we can try to ensure services are based on what people think, and what people need.”

There are two online surveys:

- Residents survey

- Pharmacies and providers of health and social care services survey

For further information and the survey in alternative formats, email [email protected]

The consultation will close on March 28.

The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) will be completed by October.

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