The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2008

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 (“the principal Regulations”) which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances (other than dental or optical appliances) supplied under or by virtue of the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

The principal Regulations consolidated (with some changes) the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2007.

Regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations includes a definition of a “Scottish prescription form”. Paragraph (a)(i)(cc) of that definition was intended to include a reference to a form provided by the Common Services Agency on which the provision of pharmaceutical services may be ordered by a dentist performing personal dental services in accordance with a pilot scheme under Part I of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 1997 (“the 1997 Act”). Paragraph (b)(ii) of that definition was intended to include a reference to data created on an electronic form for the provision of pharmaceutical services ordered by a dentist performing personal dental services in accordance with a pilot scheme under Part I of the 1997 Act. However, these paragraphs in the definition made reference to a “pilot” rather than a “pilot scheme”. Regulation 2(2) corrects those errors.

Regulation 2(3) corrects an error in regulation 8(1) of the principal Regulations, by substituting an incorrect reference to “entitlement certificate” with a reference to “entitlement card”.

Regulation 2(4) corrects an error in regulation 8(11) of the principal Regulations, by deleting an incorrect use of the word “by”.

Regulation 2(5) clarifies a modification made in regulation 9(5) of the principal Regulations. The effect is that, in circumstances where a qualifying patient receives pharmaceutical services under regulation 3 of the principal Regulations by presenting a valid entitlement card and an equivalent prescription form, the reference to the reduction in the sum which a Health Board is under a duty to pay or cause to be paid under regulation 3(6) of the principal Regulations is modified to refer to the sum specified in regulation 3(1)(b)(i) of the principal Regulations in respect of each appliance supplied.

Regulation 2(6) amends a reference in paragraph 2(3)(a) of Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations in relation to a consequential amendment to regulation 4(2)(c) of the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 2003.