These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992, which govern the arrangements to be made by Family Health Services Authorities for the provision in their locality of pharmaceutical services under the National Health Services Act 1977.

Regulation 2 extends the scope of supplemental services so as to enable any chemist on the pharmaceutical list of an FHSA to provide advice as to the safekeeping and correct administration of drugs in any residential care home or any nursing home registered under the Registered Homes Act 1984 and in certain homes which are not required to be registered under that Act.

Regulation 3 removes the requirement that a chemist who has undertaken to provide additional professional services must display such posters and publications as the FHSA may require.

Regulations 4, 5 and 6 enable the Secretary of State to designate, in the Drug Tariff, Family Health Services Authorities as the determining authority for remuneration in respect of specified pharmaceutical services, and require the FHSA to consult the Local Pharmaceutical Committee prior to the making of such a determination and to publish any determinations made.

Regulation 7 amends chemists' terms of service relating to the hours within which pharmaceutical services are required to be provided and the hours that the FHSA may direct them to be provided, and provides for an appeal against such a direction of an FHSA. The days and times when a pharmacist may be required by an FHSA to be available to provide pharmaceutical services are Mondays to Saturdays, excluding specified days, between the hours of 09.00 and 17.30 (13.00 on an early closing day), and the FHSA may direct that a pharmacist be available for the provision of pharmaceutical services outside those hours in specified circumstances, provided that a fee or other remuneration to be paid to any chemist so directed has been determined.

Regulation 7(5) removes the provision relating to fair wages for staff.

These Regulations also make consequential and other minor amendments.