Pharmacy: Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Local authorities are required, by statute, to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served by local pharmacies and must keep these assessments under review. Integrated care boards (ICBs) give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications from the new contractors. Contractors can also apply to open a new pharmacy to offer benefits to patients that were not foreseen by the PNA.

If there is a need for a new local pharmacy to open and no contractors apply to open a pharmacy and fill the gap, an ICB can commission a new pharmacy to open outside of the market entry processes and fund the contract from the ICB’s budgets. In some rural areas where a pharmacy may not be viable, local GP practices are permitted to dispense medicines to their patients. In addition, patients can choose to access medicines through any of the distance selling pharmacies that are required to deliver medicines they dispense free of charge and also provide other pharmaceutical services remotely.