The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005

Determination of pharmacy opening hours instigated by the Primary Care Trust

24.—(1) Where it appears to the Primary Care Trust, after consultation with or having considered the matter at the request of the Local Pharmaceutical Committee, that the days on which or times at which a pharmacy is or will be open for the provision of pharmaceutical services will not, or no longer meet, the needs of—

(a) people in the neighbourhood; or

(b) other likely users of his pharmacy,

for pharmaceutical services, it shall carry out an assessment as to whether to issue a direction requiring the pharmacist whose pharmacy it is to provide pharmaceutical services at the pharmacy at set times and on set days (which may include Christmas Day, Good Friday and bank holidays).

(2) Before concluding the assessment under sub-paragraph (1) the Primary Care Trust shall—

(a) give notice to the pharmacist of any proposed changes to the days on which or times at which the pharmacy is to be open; and

(b) allow him 30 days within which to make written representations to the Primary Care Trust about the proposed changes.

(3) After considering any representations made in accordance with sub-paragraph (2)(b), the Primary Care Trust shall—

(a) issue a direction (which will replace any existing direction) which meets the requirements of sub-paragraphs (4) and (5);

(b) confirm any existing direction in respect of the times at which the pharmacist must provide pharmaceutical services at the pharmacy, provided that the existing direction, whether issued under this Part or paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the 1992 Regulations, would meet the requirements of sub-paragraphs (4) and (5) if it were issued under this paragraph;

(c) either—

(i) revoke (without replacing it) any existing direction in respect of the times at which the pharmacist must provide pharmaceutical services at the pharmacy, whether issued under this Part or paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 to the 1992 Regulations, or

(ii) in a case where there is no existing direction, issue no direction,

in which case, by virtue of paragraph 22(1)(a), the pharmacy will need to be open for not less than 40 hours each week.

(4) Where a Primary Care Trust issues a direction under sub-paragraph (3) in respect of a pharmacy that is to be required to be open—

(a) for more than 40 hours each week, it shall set out in that direction—

(i) the total number of hours each week for which the pharmacist shall provide pharmaceutical services at the pharmacy, and

(ii) as regards the additional hours for which he is to provide pharmaceutical services, the days on which and the times at which he is required to provide those services during those additional hours,

but it shall not set out in that direction the days on which or times at which he is to provide pharmaceutical services during hours which are not additional hours; or

(b) for less than 40 hours each week, it shall set out in that direction the days on which and times at which pharmaceutical services are to be provided at that pharmacy.

(5) The Primary Care Trust shall not issue a direction under sub-paragraph (3) that has the effect simply of requiring a pharmacy to be open for 40 hours each week on set days and at set times (that is, the direction must have the effect of requiring a pharmacy to be open for either more or less than 40 hours each week).

(6) The Primary Care Trust shall notify the pharmacist in writing of any direction issued or any other action taken under sub-paragraph (3), and where it sets new days on which or times at which the pharmacist is to provide pharmaceutical services at the pharmacy, it shall include with the notification a statement in writing of—

(a) the reasons for the change; and

(b) the pharmacist’s right of appeal under paragraph (7).

(7) A pharmacist may, within 30 days of receiving notification under sub-paragraph (6), appeal in writing to the Secretary of State against any direction issued or any other action taken under sub-paragraph (3) which sets new days on which or times at which the pharmacist is to provide pharmaceutical services.

(8) The Secretary of State may, when determining an appeal, either confirm the action taken by the Primary Care Trust or take any action that the Primary Care Trust could have taken under paragraph (3).

(9) The Secretary of State shall notify the pharmacist in writing of his determination and shall in every case include with the notification a written statement of the reasons for the determination.

(10) If the days on which or times at which a pharmacist is to provide pharmaceutical services at a pharmacy have been changed in accordance with this paragraph, the pharmacist shall introduce the changes—

(a) if he has not appealed under sub-paragraph (7), not later than 8 weeks after the date on which he receives his notification under sub-paragraph (6); or

(b) if he has appealed under sub-paragraph (7), not later than 8 weeks after the date on which he receives his notification under sub-paragraph (9).