Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) 2025-2028

The requirement to produce a Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is a statutory responsibility of the Health and Wellbeing Board by virtue of the National Health Service (NHS) Regulations 2013. The PNA is updated every three years. This PNA is for the period 2025-2028.

The main purpose of the PNA is to enable Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), as commissioners of community pharmacy services, and NHS England to assess applications to open new premises from a pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor against any geographical gaps identified within the PNA. The PNA should also identify whether there is a need for an additional NHS funded service(s), or whether improvements or better access to existing NHS funded services are required.

Although a PNA is primarily a document to enable Cheshire and Merseyside ICB and NHS England to make application decisions, a robust PNA used in conjunction with the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) should aid commissioners within the Local Authority and Integrated Care Board (ICB) to target services from pharmacies to areas of most need.