The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of these Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 (“the principal Regulations”) which regulate the provision of pharmaceutical services under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

These Regulations make changes to the principal Regulations arising out of the designation of a new category of prescriber of medicines and appliances for human use. Under amendments to the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997 which came into force on 4th April 2003, “supplementary prescribers”, who are appropriately qualified nurses and pharmacists, have been given new rights to prescribe prescription only medicines under an agreed clinical management plan for an individual patient. These “supplementary prescribers” will also be qualified to prescribe other medicines and appliances under such plans.

In particular, regulation 2 deletes the pre-existing definition of “nurse prescriber” in the principal Regulations and inserts new definitions of “prescription form”, “supplementary prescriber”, “independent nurse prescriber” and other related definitions, to differentiate between the different categories of nurses who may prescribe.

Regulation 4 amends Part I of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations to clarify that members appointed to the Pharmacy Practices Committee under paragraph 3(1)(c) of that Schedule have the right to vote.

Regulation 5 amends Part II of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations to clarify that members appointed to the National Appeal Panel under paragraph 11(3)(d) of that Schedule have the right to vote.