Pharmaceutical needs are being met on the Island now and in the next 3 years… at least that’s what the Isle of Wight Council thinks.
In a draft copy of the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), the Council’s Health and Wellbeing Board has come to that conclusion after looking at health factors, current population and predicted future need.
The PNA is a report considered every 3 years and the latest assessment has been in the making since September.
It comes, though, as concerns about Island pharmacies increase, with staff facing growing abuse from frustrated patients, who are facing long wait times for — or going without — essential medication.
An incident in April saw the Boots Pharmacy on Ventnor High Street lock its doors with patients inside due to the abuse staff were facing.
The PNA, once completed, will primarily be used by health officials to see where gaps in the services are but through evaluation, the council says there are none, at least until 2025.
The authority says the number of pharmacies, their geographical distribution, opening hours and choice of services currently meets the needs of the Island population and into the future. They say a pharmacy is accessible to the majority of residents, within a 5-mile drive, and approximately around 1 pharmacy per 4,500 Islanders.
The average number of items dispensed in 2020/21 per pharmacy was also higher than the national average — with 100,110 items on the Island compared to an average of 88,247 nationally. It equates to just over 8,340 items dispensed per pharmacy per month on the Island.
It is not the final version of the PNA however, with the council looking to hear feedback from the public before the report is officially approved and released in October later this year.
You can fill in its survey, until 17th July, at www.hampshirecc.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/2022-PNA.
What a load of crap. Getting the council to access anything is a joke. We need more pharmacies, more doctors to come out of hiding, and another hospital. Seeing as the council are intent on building more and more houses, how can they predict what we need for the next 3 years. Laughable.
Someone needs a spell checker!
Wouldn’t take any notice of what they say, as indicating all is fine, means “we don’t need to do anything more or spend any money, apart from our meeting expenses, that we will claim for the meeting that we had, to decide that we don’t need to do anything.”
..
It could have been 1 pharmacy on the entire island and they would have said the same thing, as it appears that the 1 pharmacy for 4,500 islanders isn’t set against any requirement and just up to them, whether it is ok or not.
As the top councillors have Private heath care and education for their loved ones, they could not care less about what they see as just plebs, despite us plebs paying their over inflated wages.
See them for what they are.
How often have i been in a supermarket and found the pharmacy closed also you cannot visit pharmacy in Newport over the lunch time you need extra staff to cover this times and during opening times extra staff are needed have often been in a chemist 5 staff behind the counter 1 serving customers
Pharmacies over here are cr4p. The staff have no idea ½ the time what you ask them, not talking about the actual pharmacist because obviously they do. I mean the shop assistants in chemists! I’ve been using Pharmacy2U since lockdown. They are so easy to deal with and just a click and few days later through your door. Also pharmacist avaliable if you need to speak to them too. I suggest people try these companies because otherwise the chemists will continue to NOT fully train their staff.
You cannot generalise, there may be problems at some Pharmacies some days, but generally they are excellent
If you are dissatisfied with a Pharmacy locally, then choose another on the Island, most will deliver to you.
Using mail order mainland Pharmacies hits the island economy, risks loss of local provision and they cannot provide any of the other services like flu jabs etc, they need your prescriptions to support their overall viability ,and to keep them open.
Think again about using mail order Pharmacies; some have big problems – check reviews online.
Tosh, the pharmacy’s ( from my many experiences ) do a fine job.
Some people expect to much, and start moaning if they have to wait for ten minutes, mainly baby boomers.
They are a fantastic service provider who work under extreme pressures.
The people who go on line to receive there meds etc. are the same people who moan about the lack of shops and services on the high street.
You really don’t appreciate what we have in this country.
So what if they close for lunch for one hour, me me me me.
Count your blessings.
A surprising and rather dubious conclusion judging by the many reports of people having difficulties in getting their medicines.
Tesco were one of the worst, haven’t used them for a while, so hope they have better staff.
This Government are purposely running down the NHS so people are forced into private health care (unless you are poor and have no choice).
They care nothing for the general population, only for themselves and their mates.
If you voted Tory you are getting what you deserve.
If like me you did not, you are paying the price for other people’s gullibility.
Thank you, I voted Tory since Thatcher and it’s been wonderful.
Feedback? Slim pickings here; when I acccessed the published feedback site, all I got was “the requested resource is not found”!
However, some years ago, there seemed to be a dire public need of a Pharmacy in Brading?
I wonder if they surveyed all the residents on repeat prescriptions to hear their experiences as part of this? I moved pharmacy twice because they were so inefficient; and working full time I did not have time to queue for literally hours to get my meds. Now satisfied with Tesco & just have to hope Gp surgery gets it right…..
It seems to be more the lack of pharmacist than the actual pharmacy is the problem, a bit like lack of doctors and health clinics.
lmao in Brighstone, have to travel to Newport for prescription
And ?
My local pharmacy has been closed more this year than last due to qualified pharmacist shortage availability. Not sure where the Council have been doing their assessment but definitely not on the Isle of Wight
There is one underlying issue over repeat prescriptions, and on-line or registered mail order pharmacies in the fact that no questions will be asked about your medication issue – which in my mind is dangerous. I have the mental ability to not only know everything about my medication but also to question whether it is actually doing what I want it to. This is achieved by talking in a private room directly with Pharmacist as there doesn’t appear to be any annual reviews now of prescribed medication by GP’s. If the NHS was run like it was 20 years ago there would be less pressure placed on GP’s and less prescription issues.
They are kind of right we don’t need more pharmacies on the island BUT we do however need more pharmacists and certain medications in stock