The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013

Providing ordered drugs or appliances U.K.

6.—(1) Where the LPS contractor (C) is presented with, or receives from the Electronic Prescription Service, a prescription form or a repeatable prescription, C must only provide the drugs or appliances so ordered—

(a) if the prescription form or repeatable prescription is duly signed and completed as described in paragraph 3(1) or (2); and

(b) in accordance with the order on the prescription form or repeatable prescription,

subject to any regulations in force under the Weights and Measures Act 1985 M1 and the following provisions of this Schedule.

(2) If the order is for [F1 , or a product to be provided in accordance with a SSP is,] an appliance of a type requiring measuring and fitting by C (for example a truss), C shall make all necessary arrangements for—

(a) measuring the person named on the prescription form or repeatable prescription for the appliance; and

(b) fitting the appliance.

(3) If the order is for [F2 , or a product to be provided in accordance with a SSP is,] a drug or appliance included in the Drug Tariff, the British National Formulary (including any Appendix published as part of that Formulary), the Dental Practitioner's Formulary, the European Pharmacopoeia or the British Pharmaceutical Codex, the drug or appliance provided must comply with the relevant standard or formula specified therein.

(4) If the order—

(a) is an order for a drug; but

(b) is not an order for a controlled drug within the meaning of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 M2 , other than a drug which is for the time being specified in Schedule 4 or 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 M3 (which relate to controlled drugs excepted from certain prohibitions under the Regulations),

and does not prescribe its quality, strength or dosage, C (in practice, a registered pharmacist) may provide the drug in such strength and dosage as in the exercise of C's professional skill, knowledge and care C considers to be appropriate and, subject to sub-paragraph (5), in such quantity as C considers to be appropriate for a course of treatment for a period not exceeding 5 days.

(5) Where an order to which sub-paragraph (4) applies is for—

(a) an oral contraceptive substance;

(b) a drug, which is available for supply as part of local pharmaceutical services only together with one or more other drugs; or

(c) an antibiotic in a liquid form for oral administration in respect of which pharmaceutical considerations require its provision in an unopened package,

which is not available for provision as part of local pharmaceutical services except in such packages that the minimum size available contains a quantity appropriate to a course of treatment for a period of more than 5 days, C may provide the minimum size available package.

(6) Where any drug to which this sub-paragraph applies (that is, a drug that is not one to which the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 applies, unless it is a drug for the time being specified in Schedule 5 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001), ordered by a prescriber on a prescription form or repeatable prescription, is available for provision by C in a pack in a quantity which is different to the quantity which has been so ordered, and that drug is—

(a) sterile;

(b) effervescent or hygroscopic;

(c) a liquid preparation for addition to bath water;

(d) a coal tar preparation;

(e) a viscous preparation; or

(f) packed at the time of its manufacture in a special container,

C must provide the drug in the pack whose quantity is nearest to the quantity which has been so ordered.

(7) In this paragraph, “special container” means any container with an integral means of application or from which it is not practicable to dispense an exact quantity.

(8) Subject to sub-paragraph (9), where a drug is ordered by a prescriber on a prescription form or repeatable prescription[F3 , or is to be provided in accordance with a SSP,] in a quantity that is, or is a multiple of a quantity that is, readily available in a pack size manufactured for a holder of a [F4 UK] marketing authorisation for the drug, C must provide the drug in an original pack (or in original packs) of that size which has been assembled by a manufacturer of the drug for such a holder of a [F4 UK] marketing authorisation, unless—

(a) it is not possible for C to obtain such a pack (or packs) with reasonable promptness in the normal course of business; or

(b) it is not practicable for C to provide such a pack (or packs) in response to the order (for example, because of patient needs or the method of administration of the drug).

(9) In the case of oral liquid methadone, C (in practice, a registered pharmacist) must decide whether it would be most appropriate to provide—

(a) each dose in a separate container;

(b) an original pack (or original packs); or

(c) the oral liquid methadone in some other way,

and C must then provide it in packaging that accords with that decision.

(10) C must only provide a Scheduled drug in response to an order by name, formula or other description on a prescription form or repeatable prescription if—

(a) it is ordered as specified in sub-paragraph (11); or

(b) in the case of a drug specified in Schedule 2 to the Prescription of Drugs Regulations M4 (drugs, medicines and other substances that may be ordered only in certain circumstances), it is ordered in the circumstances prescribed in that Schedule.

(11) A Scheduled drug that is a drug with an appropriate non-proprietary name may be provided in response to an order on a prescription form or repeatable prescription for a drug (“the prescribed drug”) that is not a Scheduled drug but which has the same non-proprietary name as the Scheduled drug if—

(a) the prescribed drug is ordered by that non-proprietary name or by its formula;

(b) the prescribed drug has the same specification as the Scheduled drug (so the Scheduled drug may be dispensed generically); and

(c) the Scheduled drug is not in a pack which consists of a drug in more than one strength, and providing it would involve the supply of part only of the pack.

(12) If a Scheduled drug is a combination of more than one drug, it can only be ordered as specified in sub-paragraph (11) if the combination has an appropriate non-proprietary name, whether or not the drugs in the combination each have such names.

(13) C must provide any drug which it is required to provide under paragraph 3 [F5 or 3B] [F6 , or provides under paragraph 3A,] in a suitable container.

[F7 (14) Where C provides a drug or appliance under paragraph 3A, C must include in the dispensing label on the packaging of the product, for the patient’s benefit, information to the effect that the product is being supplied in accordance with a SSP, identifying the particular SSP.]

[F8 (15) Sub-paragraphs (3) to (8) apply to the provision of a drug in accordance with a LPIV as they apply to the provision of a drug in accordance with a prescription form or a repeatable prescription (or an associated batch issue).]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in Sch. 7 para. 6(2) inserted (1.7.2019) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Serious Shortage Protocols) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/990), regs. 1, 7(4)(a)

F2 Words in Sch. 7 para. 6(3) inserted (1.7.2019) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Serious Shortage Protocols) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/990), regs. 1, 7(4)(b)

F3 Words in Sch. 7 para. 6(8) inserted (1.7.2019) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Serious Shortage Protocols) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/990), regs. 1, 7(4)(c)

F4 Word in Sch. 7 para. 6(8) inserted (31.12.2020) by The Human Medicines (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/775), reg. 1, Sch. 8 para. 11(3); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F5 Words in Sch. 7 para. 6(13) inserted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 10(3)(a)

F6 Words in Sch. 7 para. 6(13) inserted (1.7.2019) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Serious Shortage Protocols) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/990), regs. 1, 7(4)(d)

F7 Sch. 7 para. 6(14) inserted (1.7.2019) by The National Health Service (Amendments Relating to Serious Shortage Protocols) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/990), regs. 1, 7(4)(e)

F8 Sch. 7 para. 6(15) inserted (21.12.2021) by The National Health Service (Charges, Primary Medical Services and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Further Amendments) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/1346), regs. 1(2)(a), 10(3)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1985 c. 72.

M2 1971 c.38; see section 2(1)(a) of that Act, which defines “controlled drug” for the purposes of that Act.

M3 S.I. 2001/3998. Schedule 4 has been amended by S.I. 2003/1432, 2005/3372, 2007/2154 and 2009/3136, and Schedule 5 has been amended by S.I. 2005/2864.

M4 Schedule 2 has been amended by S.I. 2004/3215, 2009/2230, 2010/2389 and 2011/680 and

1043.