The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2012

Core opening hours conditions

65.—(1) If an application to which regulation 13(1)(b) of the 2005 Regulations (exemption from the necessary or expedient test) applied was granted, the inclusion in the pharmaceutical list of the person listed in relation to—

(a) the premises that were listed as a consequence of that application; or

(b) if there has been a relocation of the retail pharmacy business or appliance contractor business at those premises to other premises, those other premises,

is subject to the condition set out in paragraph (2) (“the 100 hours condition”).

(2) The condition is that the premises must be kept open for at least 100 hours per week for the provision of pharmaceutical services.

(3) A Primary Care Trust may not vary or remove the 100 hours condition.

(4) Where, in the course of making a routine application or an excepted application to which regulation 24 or 26(2) applies—

(a) for inclusion in a pharmaceutical list as mentioned in regulation 10(2)(a), or from a person already included in such a list to relocate to different pharmacy premises or to open, within the area of the Primary Care Trust, additional pharmacy premises—

(i) an NHS pharmacist undertook to provide pharmaceutical services at the proposed pharmacy premises for a specified number of core opening hours each week which is more than 40 (other than as a consequence of a 100 hours condition originally imposed by virtue of the 2005 Regulations),

(ii) the NHS pharmacist and the Primary Care Trust agreed that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the proposed pharmacy premises during the additional opening hours specified (that is, the hours which are the difference between the total number of hours specified and 40) at set times and on set days, and

(iii) the application was granted having regard to that undertaking and that agreement,

when it includes the premises in its pharmaceutical list, the Primary Care Trust must direct that the person listed in relation to the premises is to provide pharmaceutical services at those premises for the specified number of core opening hours so undertaken, and during the additional opening hours at the set times and on the set days so agreed;

(b) for inclusion in a pharmaceutical list as mentioned in regulation 10(2)(b), or from a person already included in such a list to relocate to different appliance contractor premises or to open, within the area of the Primary Care Trust, additional appliance contractor premises—

(i) an NHS appliance contractor undertook to provide pharmaceutical services at proposed appliance contractor premises for a specified number of core opening hours each week which is more than 30 (other than as a consequence of a 100 hours condition originally imposed by virtue of the 2005 Regulations),

(ii) the NHS appliance contractor and the Primary Care Trust agreed that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the appliance contractor premises during the additional opening hours specified (that is, the hours which are the difference between the total number of hours specified and 30) at set times and on set days, and

(iii) the application was granted having regard to that undertaking and that agreement,

when it includes the premises in its pharmaceutical list, the Primary Care Trust must direct that the person listed in relation to the premises is to provide pharmaceutical services at those premises for the specified number of core opening hours so undertaken, and during the additional opening hours at the set times and on the set days so agreed.

(5) Where a Primary Care Trust has—

(a) invited an NHS chemist to increase the total number of core opening hours during which the NHS chemist is to provide pharmaceutical services at listed chemist premises; and

(b) thereafter agreed with the NHS chemist—

(i) an increased number of core opening hours, and

(ii) if the NHS chemist—

(aa) is an NHS pharmacist, that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the pharmacy premises during any additional opening hours (that is, the hours which are the difference between the total number of hours specified and 40) at set times and on set days, and

(bb) is an NHS appliance contractor, that pharmaceutical services are to be provided at the appliance contractor premises during any additional opening hours (that is, the hours which are the difference between the total number of hours specified and 30) at set times and on set days,

the Primary Care Trust must direct that the person listed in relation to the premises is to provide pharmaceutical services at those premises for the specified number of core opening hours so undertaken, and during any additional opening hours at the set times and on the set days so agreed.

(6) Except as provided for under paragraph (5) and subject to paragraph (7), a Primary Care Trust may only vary a direction given under paragraph (4) or (5) in accordance with paragraph 25 or 26 of Schedule 4 or paragraph 15 or 16 of Schedule 5.

(7) A direction given under paragraph (4) or (5) must not be varied within 3 years of the direction being given.