PEOPLE are being urged to have their say over current and future pharmacies in Somerset.

Somerset Council has launched a consultation to help assess the need for pharmaceutical provision in the county.

The Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA) is produced by Public Health Somerset and aims to support NHS England, Somerset Integrated Care Board, and Somerset Council in commissioning and supporting decisions around encouraging or permitting new pharmacies to open.

The PNA is written using national guidance focussing on access to pharmaceutical services, and does not assess the quality of services.

The current consultation is on the draft PNA, to understand if the report covers the necessary information, and correctly represents pharmaceutical services in Somerset.

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As of January this year, there were 91 community pharmacies and 23 dispensing GPs in Somerset.

A gap analysis shows the distribution and opening times of pharmacies in Somerset are ‘generally appropriate’, and services are commissioned in ways that ‘largely cover the county’.

Now, people in Somerset are being encouraged to give their feedback to inform the final report, scheduled for publication by September.

Lead member for public health, climate change and environment, Cllr Graham Oakes, said: “Based on the information we have available, there are no gaps identified in current pharmacy provision in Somerset.

“But your views on this will be invaluable and we invite anyone with relevant information to participate in this consultation to help us shape our assessment.”

The draft PNA consultation for Somerset can be found online HERE and will close on Monday, June 16.