The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services etc.), (Repeatable Prescriptions) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2004

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make amendments to the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992 (the “Pharmaceutical Regulations”) and the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Wales) Regulations 2001 (the “Charges Regulations”).

The amendments establish a scheme within the National Health Service for repeat dispensing, which will enable prescribers to issue, and chemists to dispense, in accordance with, repeatable prescriptions.

Part 1 of these Regulations amends the Pharmaceutical Regulations. The main changes are as follows: regulation 2 of these Regulations inserts definitions into regulation 2 (interpretation); regulation 4 inserts regulation 16B specifying those chemists who are eligible to provide repeat dispensing services and how they should give notice of their intention to provide such services; regulation 6 amends Schedule 2 (terms of service for chemists), and makes provision regarding the dispensing of repeatable prescriptions. In particular, it inserts paragraph 3A into the Schedule, which makes specific provision for the dispensing of such prescriptions, for example, concerning the endorsement of such prescriptions by chemists, and the circumstances in which chemists must refuse to dispense such a prescription.

Part 2 of these Regulations amends the Charges Regulations. The main changes are as follows:

regulation 7 inserts definitions into regulation 2 and also amends regulation 2 to ensure that where more that one container of drugs, or more than one appliance (subject to specified exceptions) is provided in reliance on one batch issue, only one charge is payable; and regulation 8 amends regulation 3 of the Charges Regulations, to clarify that the specified charges are payable on each batch issue, to require a person paying such a charge to sign a declaration that the charge has been paid, and to specify that the exemptions, remissions, requirement for the charge to be paid and requirement to issue a receipt, which apply to all other charges under the Charges Regulations, also apply to charges for repeat dispensing services.