The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2015

Orders for drugs, medicines or appliances E+W

56.—(1) Subject to [F1 paragraphs (1A), (2) and (3)] and to the restrictions on prescribing in regulations 61 and 62, a prescriber must order any drugs, medicines or appliances which are needed for the treatment of any patient who is receiving treatment under the contract by—

(a) issuing to the patient a non-electronic prescription form or a non-electronic repeatable prescription completed in accordance with paragraph (6); or

(b) creating and transmitting an electronic prescription in circumstances to which regulation 57(1) applies,

and a non-electronic prescription form, non-electronic repeatable prescription or electronic prescription that is for health service use must not be used in any other circumstances.

[F2 (1A) If, on a particular occasion when a drug, medicine or appliance is needed as mentioned in paragraph (1)—

(a) the prescriber is able, without delay, to order the drug, medicine or appliance by means of an electronic prescription;

(b) the Electronic Prescription Service software that the prescriber would use for that purpose provides for the creation and transmission of electronic prescriptions without the need for a nominated dispenser; and

(c) none of the reasons for issuing a non-electronic prescription form or a non- electronic repeatable prescription given in paragraph (1B) apply,

the prescriber must create and transmit an electronic prescription for that drug, medicine or appliance.

(1B) The reasons given in this paragraph are—

(a) although the prescriber is able to use the Electronic Prescription Service, the prescriber is not satisfied that—

(i) the access that the prescriber has to the Electronic Prescription Service is reliable, or

(ii) the Electronic Prescription Service is functioning reliably;

(b) the patient, or where appropriate the patient’s authorised person, informs the prescriber that the patient wants the option of having the prescription dispensed elsewhere than in England;

(c) the patient, or where appropriate the patient’s authorised person, insists on the patient being issued with a non-electronic prescription form or a non-electronic repeatable prescription for a particular prescription and in the professional judgment of the prescriber the welfare of the patient is likely to be in jeopardy unless a non-electronic prescription form or a non-electronic repeatable prescription is issued;

(d) the prescription is to be issued before the contractor’s EPS phase 4 date or the contractor has no such date.]

(2) A healthcare professional must order any home oxygen services which are needed for the treatment of a patient who is receiving treatment under the contract by issuing a home oxygen order form.

(3) During an outbreak of an illness for which a [F3 listed prescription item] may be used for a treatment or for prophylaxis, if—

(a) the Secretary of State or [F4 NHS England] has made arrangements for the distribution of a [F3 listed prescription item] free of charge; and

(b) that [F3 listed prescription item] is needed for treatment or prophylaxis of any patient who is receiving treatment under the contract,

a prescriber may order that [F3 listed prescription item] by using a [F5 listed prescription items] voucher and must sign that [F5 listed prescription items] voucher [F6 (with an electronic signature, if an electronic form is used)] if one is used.

(4) During an outbreak of an illness for which a [F7 listed prescription item] may be used for a treatment or for prophylaxis, if—

(a) the Secretary of State or [F4 NHS England] has made arrangements for the distribution of a [F7 listed prescription item] free of charge;

(b) those arrangements contain criteria set out in a protocol which enable persons who are not prescribers to identify the symptoms of, and whether there is a need for treatment of that disease or for or prophylaxis;

(c) a person acting on behalf of the contractor, who is not a prescriber but who is authorised by [F4 NHS England] to order [F8 listed prescription items], has applied the criteria referred to in sub-paragraph (b) to a patient who is receiving treatment under the contract; and

(d) having applied the criteria, that person has concluded that the [F7 listed prescription item] is needed for the treatment or prophylaxis of the patient,

that person may order that [F7 listed prescription item] by using a [F8 listed prescription items] voucher and must sign that [F9 listed prescription items] voucher [F9 (with an electronic signature, if an electronic form is used)] if one is used.

(5) A prescriber may only order drugs, medicines or appliances on a repeatable prescription where the drugs, medicines or appliances are to be provided more than once.

[F10 (5A) A prescriber must only order one prescription item on a prescription form or repeatable prescription that is used by the prescriber for ordering a listed HRT prescription item.

(5B) For the purposes of paragraph (5A), “listed HRT prescription item” is to be construed in accordance with regulation 17A(1)(a) of the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2015, read with regulation 17A(7) of those Regulations.]

(6) In issuing a non-electronic prescription form or a non-electronic repeatable prescription, the prescriber must—

(a) sign the prescription form or repeatable prescription in ink in the prescriber's own handwriting, and not by means of a stamp, with the prescriber's initials, or forenames, and surname; and

(b) only sign the prescription or repeatable prescription after particulars of the order have been inserted in the prescription form or repeatable prescription.

(7) A prescription form or repeatable prescription must not refer to any previous prescription form or repeatable prescription form.

(8) A separate prescription form or repeatable prescription must be used for each patient, except where a bulk prescription is issued for a school or institution under regulation 63.

(9) A home oxygen order form must be signed by a health care professional.

(10) Where a prescriber orders the drug buprenorphine or diazepam or a drug specified in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 M1 (controlled drugs to which regulations 14 to 16, 18 to 21, 23, 26 and 27 of those Regulations apply) for supply by instalments for treating addiction to any drug specified in that Schedule, the prescriber must—

(a) use only the prescription form provided specially for the purposes of supply by instalments;

(b) specify the number of instalments to be dispensed and the interval between each instalment; and

(c) order only such quantity of the drug as will provide treatment for a period not exceeding 14 days.

(11) The prescription form provided specially for the purpose of supply by instalments must not be used for any purpose other than ordering drugs in accordance with paragraph (10).

(12) In an urgent case, a prescriber may only request a chemist to dispense a drug or medicine before a prescription form or repeatable prescription is issued or created if—

(a) the drug or medicine is not a Scheduled drug;

(b) the drug is not a controlled drug within the meaning of section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 M2 (which relates to controlled drugs and their classification for the purposes of that Act), other than a drug which is for the time being specified in Part 1 of Schedule 4 (controlled drugs subject to the requirements of regulations 22, 23, 26 and 27) or Schedule 5 (controlled drugs excepted from the prohibition on importation, exportation and possession and subject to the requirements of regulations 24 and 26) to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 M3 ; and

(c) the prescriber undertakes to—

(i) provide the chemist within 72 hours from the time of the request with a non-electronic prescription form or a non-electronic repeatable prescription completed in accordance with paragraph (6), or

(ii) transmit by the Electronic Prescription Service within 72 hours from the time of the request an electronic prescription.

(13) In an urgent case, a prescriber may only request a chemist to dispense an appliance before a prescription form or repeatable prescription form is issued or created if—

(a) the appliance does not contain a Scheduled drug, or a controlled drug within the meaning of section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (which relates to controlled drugs and their classification for the purposes of that Act), other than a drug which is for the time being specified in Schedule 5 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (controlled drugs excepted from the prohibition on importation, exportation and possession and subject to the requirements of regulations 24 and 26);

(b) if the appliance is a restricted availability appliance, the patient is a person, or it is for a purpose, specified in the Drug Tariff; and

(c) the prescriber undertakes to—

(i) provide the chemist within 72 hours from the time of the request with a non-electronic prescription form or non-electronic repeatable prescription completed in accordance with paragraph (6), or

(ii) transmit by the Electronic Prescription Service within 72 hours from the time of the request an electronic prescription.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in reg. 56(1) substituted (26.11.2018) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services, Charges and Prescribing) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1114), regs. 1(1), 17(2)

F2 Reg. 56(1A)(1B) inserted (26.11.2018) by The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services, Charges and Prescribing) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1114), regs. 1(1), 17(3)

F3 Words in reg. 56(3) substituted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(2)(a)

F4 Words in Regulations substituted (6.11.2023) by The Health and Care Act 2022 (Further Consequential Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/1071), reg. 1(1), Sch. para. 1

F5 Words in reg. 56(3) substituted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(2)(b)

F6 Words in reg. 56(3) inserted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(2)(c)

F7 Words in reg. 56(4) substituted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(3)(a)

F8 Words in reg. 56(4) substituted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(3)(b)

F9 Words in reg. 56(4) inserted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 17(3)(c)

F10 Reg. 56(5A)(5B) inserted (1.4.2023) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Pre-Payment Certificates, Hormone Replacement Therapy Treatments and Medicines Shortages) Regulations 2023 (S.I. 2023/171), regs. 1(1), 13

Marginal Citations

M1 S.I. 2001/3998. Schedule 2 was amended by S.I. 2003/1432, S.I. 2009/3136, S.I. 2011/448, S.I. 2014/1275 and 3277 and S.I. 2015/891.

M2 1971 c.38. Section 2 was amended by paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 17 to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (c. 13).

M3 S.I. 2001/3998. Schedule 4 was amended by S.I. 2003/1432, S.I. 2005/3372, S.I. 2007/2154, S.I. 2009/3136, S.I. 2013/625, S.I. 2014/1275 and 3277 and S.I. 2015/891. Schedule 5 was amended by S.I. 2005/2864.