Agenda item

Lorna Quinn, Public Health, to present

Lorna Quinn, Public Health Intelligence Principal, gave the following powerpoint presentation:-

Context

-        A full Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) was conducted in 2022

-        As agreed at Health and Wellbeing Board, the Council agreed to hold a steering group annually to review any emerging needs or changes to provision and make recommendation to the Board (this occurred on 5^th October, 2023)

-        NHSE/I will continue to send notification of closures to the Council’s Public Health Team

-        The steering group and associated notifications deemed that this supplementary update was required to notify the Board of pharmacy changes and highlighted changes that required a supplementary update

-        This update has been done with reference to the 2022 update where pharmaceutical services were deemed sufficient

Provision of Service

-        As of January 2023, there were 64 pharmacies including 7 distance selling pharmacies in Rotherham

-        As of November 2023, there were 61 pharmacies in Rotherham

-        There was an average of 21.3 community pharmacies per 100,000 people in the United Kingdom as of 2017.  This figure has been used as a benchmark

-        Despite the closure of 3 pharmacies, the included population in a 15 minute walk of a pharmacy as of November 2023, remained at 85.9%

Reduced Hours

-        3 permanent closures (Rotherham Direct Pharmacy, Maltby Pharmacy and Superdrug Pharmacy)

-        Reductions to the core opening hours of 4 x 100 hour pharmacies

-        Reductions to the supplementary opening hours of 5 x 40 hour pharmacies (Pickfords Pharmacy, Well, North Anston Pharmacy, Superdrug Pharmacy (now closed) and Weldricks Pharmacy)

-        Total opening hours per week (1^st January 2023) = 3,201.41

-        Total opening hours per week (16^th October 2023) = 3,010.16

-        Reduction in opening hours per week = 281.25

Opening Hours

-        There were currently 4 x 100 hour pharmacies in Rotherham

-        All 4 x 100 pharmacies had reduced their opening hours following a valid application to the ICB

-        One 100 hour pharmacy had closed since 1^st January, 2023 (Maltby Pharmacy (FAA29), 8 Blyth Road, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8JD closed on 17^th September, 2023)

-        100 hour reduction application received with criteria met = 4

-        100 hour pharmacies that had not applied to reduce core hours = 0

-        Number of 100 hour pharmacies that had closed since 1^st January 2023 = 1

Opening Times

The role of pharmacies in meeting the health needs of people in Rotherham for Public Health Commissioned Services – Substance Use

-        As of December 2023, there were 60 pharmacy contracts with ‘We Are With You’

49 dispensed Methadone

39 provided supervised consumption in the month

11 offered needle exchange (a reduction of one)

-        For supervised consumption, the total from April 2022 to February 2023 was 1,971

-        For May 2023-December 2023, there were 1,582 supervised consumptions.  This was in line with the previous year’s figures, therefore, did not indicate a reduction of provision

The role of pharmacies in meeting the health needs of people in Rotherham for Public Health Commissioned Services – Sexual Health (EHC)

-        There were 29 pharmacies signed up to provide free EHC in Rotherham at the time of the PNA, however, as of January 2023 this had decreased to 28 pharmacies

-        Since then this had reduced to 15 pharmacies

-        Limited information was available to the Sexual Health Commissioned Service as to why ‘Well’ and ‘Weldricks’ had not signed up, however, it had been noted this may be impacted by resource issues in pharmacies

Next Steps and Recommendation

-        Further work was being explored around access to pharmacies for supervised consumption and needle exchange and EHC

-        Notification of future pharmacy changes would be reviewed by the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment Steering Group, chaired by the Public Health Intelligence Principal, and would be notified to the Board as appropriate

Discussion ensued and the following issues raised:-

•         Concern that there were no pharmacies open after 9.00 p.m. in the week

•         Since Covid there had been a real change in how pharmacies worked.  There was a delivery service delivering medication to them and quite often there was no pharmacist present

•         The increase in distance to your nearest pharmacy to obtain routine medication was acceptable but the choice of services available was reducing

•         Anecdotally people were having to visit a pharmacy 2/3 times to get their routine medication due to the stock not being there.  For those without transport the increase in distance was having a massive impact on their overall wellbeing

•         Healthwatch Rotherham was intending to produce a report on pharmacies but had been awaiting to ascertain what Pharmacy First would bring to the region

Laura was thanked for her presentation.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the reduction in out-of-hours pharmacy opening hours and the reduction in pharmacies providing free emergency hormonal contraception be noted.

(2)  That Ben Anderson and Ian Spicer meet to discuss what options were available to the Council on this issue.