Novel provision of pharmacy services to a deprived area: a pharmaceutical needs assessment

Abstract

Objective To conduct a pharmaceutical services needs assessment in a deprived area of Aberdeen and to inform the development of an innovative provision of these services, addressing local needs, to be delivered within an agreed budget. Method A systematic consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. Preliminary content setting interviews informed the development of questionnaires which were mailed to residents (n = 300) randomly selected from the electoral roll, and professionals (n = 117). A nominal group of stakeholders (17 invitees) was used to prioritise the services identified from the questionnaire and identify barriers to their implementation. Setting The setting was a deprived community in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. Key findings Questionnaire response rates were 53% and 74% for residents and professionals respectively. The majority of residents reported receiving a prescription from their GP at least annually (81 %) and purchased over-the-counter (OTC) medicines (78%). The top five services required by residents were advice on minor illnesses and the use of OTC medicines, sales of first aid products and OTC medicines, and collection of prescribed medicines. The professionals additionally favoured advice on prescribed medicines and sales of baby products instead of collection of medicines and sales of first aid products. The nominal group was attended by nine people. Benefits of a pharmacy service in the area were identified as convenience and access to advice. There was concern about duplication of services with the established nurse practitioner. Concerns were also raised about security, particularly if drug misuse services were provided. Conclusion The feasibility of using a systematic approach to identify services to address local need was demonstrated.