Somerset Council has launched a consultation to help assess the current and future needs of pharmaceutical provision in Somerset.
The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is produced by Public Health Somerset. The main purpose of the PNA is to support NHS England, Somerset Integrated Care Board, and Somerset Council in their commissioning, and supporting decisions around encouraging or permitting new pharmacies to open. The PNA is written using national guidance focussing on access to pharmaceutical services, and does not assess the quality of services.
This consultation is on the draft PNA, to understand if the report covers the necessary information, and correctly represents pharmaceutical services in Somerset.
As of January 2025, there were 91 community pharmacies and 23 dispensing GPs in Somerset. The gap analysis shows that the distribution and opening times are generally appropriate, and services are commissioned in ways that largely cover the county.
The PNA has been drafted and we welcome your comments. Any feedback will be used to inform the final report which is scheduled for publication by September 2025.
Lead Member for Public Health, Climate Change and Environment Cllr Graham Oakes said:
“Based on the information we have available, there are no gaps identified in current pharmacy provision in Somerset. But your views on this will be invaluable and we invite anyone with relevant information to participate in this consultation to help us shape our assessment.”
The consultation can be found here and it will close on Monday 16 June, 2025.
