PCTs must produce landmark assessments that will shape local pharmacy services from next month. Emma Wilkinson reports from the PSNC conference, which heard how to get involved

Pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs) – documents that will grant PCTs greater power over new pharmacy contracts and services – dominated discussion at last week’s PSNC conference.

Given the importance of the commissioning of services to pharmacy in 2010, this was perhaps no surprise.

From next month regulations making PNAs mandatory will come into force, with PCTs having to develop them by February 2011. The trusts will have to use the documents to inform commissioning of new pharmaceutical services, even replacing the pharmacy control of entry regime.

But with PNAs only one month away, conference delegates, comprising grassroots LPC leaders, seemed far from assured over the PCTs’ ability to put the documents together. Failure to do so could open the door for new services to be introduced where they are not needed, or for the refusal of new premises or services where they could benefit the community.

PCT teams will have less than a year to create, consult on and publish their PNA in order to meet the February 2011 deadline, which could be a tall order for some. Stephen Lutener, head of regulation at PSNC, says pharmacists are right to be nervous, and the feedback he has had from those working in PCTs is that even they are anxious about their abilities to put together a coherent PNA. “They’re anxious about lack of resource and they’re anxious because currently this tends to fall to a small part of the medicines management team,” he explains.

Another worry for businesses with pharmacies across more than one PCT is that each area will produce a PNA that looks completely different, making provision of enhanced services at a county or country level an almost impossible task.

Ian Facer, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, says he is nervous about this impact across boundaries. “We’re potentially looking at 100 different versions of the PNA and in terms of large multiples they are looking for some consistency to deliver services across a whole region.”

Addressing the PSNC conference, Peter Dunlevy, the Department of Health’s community pharmacy policy manager (pictured), defends the local approach. He says it is important the central department is not too strict or dictatorial about how PNAs, which will be “refreshed” annually, should look. He does not want to see uniform PNAs as he believes that would defeat the object of setting out local needs.

The good news is that there is still time to do something about all of this. Talking to PCTs about pharmaceutical needs now could make all the difference. However, the short timetable does mean that pharmacists have to make sure they are fully aware of their PCT’s plans if they want to have any say in the outcome, Mr Lutener points out. “Pharmacists have to understand what it’s about, they will have seen questionnaires [from the PCT] by now but they don’t fully understand what it’s about. If they could see the link between the questions being asked and commissioning decisions it would make more sense, so the LPCs are going to have to get involved with this and do a bit of education.”

In fact, one of the strongest messages coming out of the series of PSNC conference talks on the development of PNAs is the need for pharmacists to work with their LPCs to ensure their voice is heard.

The duty of the PCT to consult their local LPC is set out in primary legislation, and Sue Sharpe, PSNC chief executive, says the profession needs a clear single voice in order to get the PNA that best suits the needs of the community.

“Pharmacists need to work with the LPC because if the PCT gets varying voices it’s not going to help. They really need to get behind LPCs to get across the understanding of what pharmacy wants,” she says.

Conference attendees are also quick to point out the need to engage with the PCT. Michael Holden, chief officer at Hampshire & Isle of White LPC, says he is confident in the ability of his PCT to work through the PNA process. But that confidence is based on the good working relationship they already have. “Be proactive. Don’t wait for them to come to you,” he advises. Mark Burden of Northumberland LPC adds: “If there’s any concern in any shape or form they [LPCs] need to be banging on doors and asking, ‘Where are you and when are we going to be involved in the consultation?’.”

If all of this goes to plan, and PCTs listen to community pharmacy throughout their consultation periods, there is hope that PNAs will turn out as they should do. Mr Lutener also suspects that when the regulations come in and PNAs become mandatory, PCTs will start to put more resource into them, which will help. He even goes as far as to conclude that the “majority” of PCTs might just end up doing a good job on their PNA.