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

Part II amends the 1992 Regulations to reflect the power of the NHS Tribunal to suspend a chemist or to declare a chemist not fit to be engaged in any capacity in the provision of pharmaceutical services. The Terms of Service for chemists are amended to prevent the employment of pharmacists in relation to whom such a declaration is in force. The amendments also provide for payments to suspend chemists.

Part III requires chemists to set up and operate (in accordance with the Regulations) a complaints procedure and to cooperate with any investigation of a complaint by a Health Authority in accordance with its procedures.

Part IV conatins a number of unrelated amendments to the 1992 Regulations.

Regulation 8 provides for all nurses employed by GPs (and not just those employed in GP fund-holding practices) to write prescriptions.

Regulation 9 alters that status of the keeping of records by a chemist in connection with the supply of drugs from that of a supplemental service to that of an additional professional service.

Regulation 10 amends regulations 2 and 24 and paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to reflect amendments made to the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/664) by the National Health Service (Service Committees and Tribunal) Amendment Regulations 1996 (S.I. 1996/703).

Regulation 11 amends the Terms of Service for pharmacists by requiring a chemist to give, on request, an estimate of the time when any drugs, medicines or appliances prescribed will be ready; by altering the definition of “working day” to exclude 28th December if Boxing Day is a Saturday; and to require pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical services and exercise their professional judgement to a standard generally accepted in the pharmaceutical profession.