The National Health Service (Charges and Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) (Coronavirus) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

Amendment of Schedule 7 to the PLPS Regulations

5.—(1) In Schedule 7 to the PLPS Regulations (mandatory terms for LPS schemes) is amended as follows.

(2) In paragraph 10A(1) (home delivery service while a disease is or in anticipation of a disease being imminently pandemic etc.), in sub-paragraph (4), for “listed dispensing” substitute “chemist”.

(3) After paragraph 10A, insert—

“Home delivery of notified items while a disease is or in anticipation of a disease being imminently pandemic etc.

10AA.— (1) Before dispensing a notified item on a prescription form or supplying it in accordance with a serious shortage protocol, an LPS contractor (C) must provide a home delivery option to eligible patients in respect of that item.

(2) For the purposes of this paragraph, a “notified item” is an item that, as a consequence of a disease being or in anticipation of a disease being imminently—

(a) pandemic; and

(b) a serious risk or potentially a serious risk to human health,

is the subject of an announcement made by the NHSCB, with the agreement of the Secretary of State, to the effect that, in order to assist in the management of the serious risk or potentially serious risk to human health, eligible patients are entitled to be provided with a home delivery option in respect of that item, if it is supplied to them as part of local pharmaceutical services.

(3) Where C is to, or may be required to, dispense a notified item on a prescription form or supply it in accordance with a serious shortage protocol, C must ascertain from—

(a) an eligible patient—

(i) who has contacted C about the home delivery of a notified item, or

(ii) who is a person whom C considered, on the basis of an order or request for a notifiable item, might be an eligible person and accordingly, in the ordinary exercise of professional skill and judgement, made the appropriate checks and determined that they were; or

(b) a person who may make an application for pharmaceutical services on behalf of that eligible patient (a “duly authorised person”) who has contacted C about the home delivery of a notified item,

whether or not the item could be supplied via a duly authorised person, and if it could, then supplying the item via a duly authorised person is the home delivery option which C must provide.

(4) Where paragraph (3) does not apply, the home delivery option that C must provide must comprise—

(a) C delivering the item to the eligible patient’s home or to an alternative address agreed with the patient or a duly authorised person (for example, a care home where the patient is temporarily residing);

(b) C arranging for an item dispensed by C to be delivered by another LPS contractor or by an NHS pharmacist to the eligible patient’s home or to an alternative address agreed with the patient or a duly authorised person; or

(c) if C is unable to deliver the item or arrange for its delivery by another LPS contractor or by an NHS pharmacist, C arranging for the dispensing or supply of the item by another LPS contractor or by an NHS pharmacist who would be able to deliver the item to the eligible patient’s home or to an alternative address agreed with the patient or a duly authorised person.

(5) Paragraph (1) does not apply where the eligible patient or a duly authorised person is already at C’s chemist premises for the purposes of being supplied with the notifiable item.

(6) Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Schedule, in any case of a supply in accordance with a home delivery option, if but for this sub-paragraph that supply would need to be made with reasonable promptness, C may instead, in the exercise of professional skill and judgment, make the supply within a reasonable timescale.”.

(1)

Inserted by S.I. 2020/351.