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Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) Guidance
NHS Employers has developed new guidance for primary care trusts on how to produce pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNA), in the broader context of world class commissioning. This is in response to the Pharmacy White Paper action plan (8.21) requiring a review and strengthening of current arrangements to ensure that PNAs are an effective and robust commissioning tool.
The guidance shows how PNAs can be used to support, and extend, existing pharmaceutical services to deliver benefits to local patients. It is aimed at directors of commissioning and pharmacy leads in PCTs, to help them develop a plan for how they will prepare their own PNA to deliver improved services for patients in their local area. It will also be of interest to providers of pharmaceutical services.
The guidance covers:
· why and how PNAs should be integrated into PCTs' existing business and commissioning cycles
· how PNAs fit within the world class commissioning framework
· the key pointers on how to write a PNA
· how robust PNAs can be used to inform and sustain decisions on applications to provide services, and for workforce development
· specific criteria and indicators of performance levels for the world class commissioning competencies particularly relevant for PNAs
Further information is available at click here
Posted 8 January 2009