Apologies for cross-posting and apologies for taking so long to summarise
the responses!
Not surprisingly, main document everyone is working from is
http://www.natpact.nhs.uk/uploads/2004_Dec/NatPaCT%20PNA%20Toolkit%20Complet
e%20Final.doc
Also available is "Implementing a community pharmacy strategy: A practical
toolkit for primary care organisations in England" pub by the National
Pharmaceutical Association (NPA).
Data sources have included census, IMD, various health indicators eg SMR,
limiting long term illness, QMAS and QoF, health equity audits and whatever
lifestyle surveys have been conducted locally.
Questionnaires of Pharmacies ( to get a handle on opening hours, services
provided etc) plus general public also seem common.
A number of people have emailed me their completed PNAs which I could
forward to anyone interested.
We have gone along the lines as above for our initial PNA. In the longer
term, we are working with Chester City Council who are developing a spatial
impact model (?map!) which will use the above or similar data to provide a
graphical representation of the impact of local pharmacy provision. Idea is
to map all pharmacies then superimpose on top of this various indicators eg
population, IMD, illness, pregnancies etc. Also to include walk/drive times
to/from pharmacies. This will help us identify any gaps in service
provision.
In general though, I still have 2 problems:-
(1) How do we (and should we) account for the effect of passing trade eg in
city centre pharmacies we suspect that the bulk of dispensed items will be
for day-trippers who could live miles outside the PCT's boundary. Whereas in
a village pharmacy it is likely that the Pharmacy's clientele will be mostly
local.
(2) Even in a village pharmacy where the clientele is local, which of our
health indicators gives the best predictor of pharmaceutical need? Eg does
the proportion of limiting long term illness correlate with the number and
type of prescriptions dispensed? Has anyone done this work?
Regards
John
Mr John P. Hampson
Public Health Specialist
Cheshire West Primary Care Trust
1829 Building
Countess of Chester Health Park
Liverpool Road
Chester CH2 1HJ
Tel 01244 650570 (direct line)
Fax 01244 650341
Email [log in to unmask]
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