Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025 to 2028

Welcome to our consultation on Kent's Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2025 to 2028.

The PNA is an assessment of the present and future needs for pharmaceutical services, under the NHS. This consultation is about pharmaceutical services provided in Kent. A separate PNA will be produced for Medway by the Medway Health and Wellbeing Board.

The PNA is used to identify any gaps in current services and/or improvements that could be made in future pharmaceutical service provision. The government requires all Health and Wellbeing Boards to produce a PNA for its area at least every three years. The next PNA for Kent is due by the end of September 2025.

The new PNA has been drafted following engagement with the Steering Group (see Appendix C of the draft PNA to see membership of the Steering Group), residents, pharmacy contractors and dispensing practice doctors in Kent.

The questionnaires, which received over 1,100 responses, asked for views and experiences about current pharmacy services, including pharmaceutical needs and areas for improvement. The responses have helped to develop the draft PNA now being consulted on. Appendix D.1, D.2, E and F of the draft PNA provides a summary of the responses to the engagement.

The Health and Wellbeing Board needs to consult with statutory (legally required) bodies such as pharmacy contractors, Healthwatch, and the NHS. It has also chosen to consult with others with an interest in the provision of pharmaceutical services in the Kent area, including Kent residents, ahead of finalising the PNA.

What pharmaceutical services are considered in the PNA?

The pharmaceutical services provided under the NHS by dispensing GP Practices (a GP Practice which can dispense medicines to patients under certain conditions), pharmacies (also known as chemists, and includes your local supermarket pharmacies and online / internet pharmacies), and appliance contractors (providers of specialist medical appliances such as stoma products) are considered in the PNA. Such services include:

  • Dispensing of medicines and appliances on prescription.
  • Sale of medicines to the public.
  • Providing advice to the public on medicines, coping with ill health or general health and wellbeing.
  • Receiving waste medicines for safe destruction.

How can you provide your feedback on the draft PNA?

You can tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire.

If you cannot complete the online questionnaire, a Word version is available to download from this webpage, which you can complete and return either by email or post.

The consultation closes at midnight on 4 August 2025. Please ensure your feedback reaches us before then.

What happens next?

Your feedback will inform the final Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028 and will be considered by the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board before the document is published in September 2025.

Over the next three years, the PNA will inform decisions when applications for new pharmacies are received. It will also inform commissioning decisions related to other services that could be delivered by pharmacies and other providers.

Welcome to our consultation on Kent's Draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) for 2025 to 2028.

The PNA is an assessment of the present and future needs for pharmaceutical services, under the NHS. This consultation is about pharmaceutical services provided in Kent. A separate PNA will be produced for Medway by the Medway Health and Wellbeing Board.

The PNA is used to identify any gaps in current services and/or improvements that could be made in future pharmaceutical service provision. The government requires all Health and Wellbeing Boards to produce a PNA for its area at least every three years. The next PNA for Kent is due by the end of September 2025.

The new PNA has been drafted following engagement with the Steering Group (see Appendix C of the draft PNA to see membership of the Steering Group), residents, pharmacy contractors and dispensing practice doctors in Kent.

The questionnaires, which received over 1,100 responses, asked for views and experiences about current pharmacy services, including pharmaceutical needs and areas for improvement. The responses have helped to develop the draft PNA now being consulted on. Appendix D.1, D.2, E and F of the draft PNA provides a summary of the responses to the engagement.

The Health and Wellbeing Board needs to consult with statutory (legally required) bodies such as pharmacy contractors, Healthwatch, and the NHS. It has also chosen to consult with others with an interest in the provision of pharmaceutical services in the Kent area, including Kent residents, ahead of finalising the PNA.

What pharmaceutical services are considered in the PNA?

The pharmaceutical services provided under the NHS by dispensing GP Practices (a GP Practice which can dispense medicines to patients under certain conditions), pharmacies (also known as chemists, and includes your local supermarket pharmacies and online / internet pharmacies), and appliance contractors (providers of specialist medical appliances such as stoma products) are considered in the PNA. Such services include:

  • Dispensing of medicines and appliances on prescription.
  • Sale of medicines to the public.
  • Providing advice to the public on medicines, coping with ill health or general health and wellbeing.
  • Receiving waste medicines for safe destruction.

How can you provide your feedback on the draft PNA?

You can tell us your views by completing the online questionnaire.

If you cannot complete the online questionnaire, a Word version is available to download from this webpage, which you can complete and return either by email or post.

The consultation closes at midnight on 4 August 2025. Please ensure your feedback reaches us before then.

What happens next?

Your feedback will inform the final Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2025-2028 and will be considered by the Kent Health and Wellbeing Board before the document is published in September 2025.

Over the next three years, the PNA will inform decisions when applications for new pharmacies are received. It will also inform commissioning decisions related to other services that could be delivered by pharmacies and other providers.

  • Have your say!

    We would like to hear your views on the draft Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA).

    We recommend that you read the draft PNA in full before completing this questionnaire.

    You can answer all or as many of the questions as you like. If you would rather not provide feedback on a section or question, just move on to the next one.

    Responses will be considered and used to help finalise the PNA before it is published in autumn 2025.

    In line with other local authorities and government departments, we ask people to register to take part in some activities. We do this to protect the integrity of our consultations from individuals and groups who may attempt to unduly influence the outcomes of the consultation process and to give people the opportunity to choose to be kept informed. 

    As with all our consultations a Word version of the questionnaire is available from the consultation webpage for people who would prefer not to complete the online version.

    Complete questionnaire