Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Pre-payment certificates

9.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this regulation, the Agency or a chemist on payment by any person of the relevant sum prescribed by paragraph (5) may grant that person a certificate (in these Regulations referred to as a “pre-payment certificate”).

(2) A pre-payment certificate shall be valid for a period of either 4 months or 12 months.

(3) A pre-payment certificate which is granted confers on the person to whom it is granted exemption as provided by regulation 7 in respect of drugs and appliances supplied during the period for which it is valid.

(4) No pre-payment certificate shall be granted unless payment of the prescribed sum is received less than one month before the date on which its period of validity is to begin.

(5) For the purposes of this regulation the prescribed sum shall be £29·30 for a pre-payment certificate valid for 4 months and £80·50 for a pre-payment certificate valid for 12 months.

(6) Where payment of a prescribed sum has been made under this regulation and, not more than one month after the date on which his certificate became valid, the person in respect of whom payment was made—

(a) dies; or

(b) becomes a person to whom any of the provisions of regulation 7(1)(b) to (f) applies; or

(c) becomes entitled to remission under regulation 3 of the Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges Regulations; or

(d) becomes resident in a hospital and thereafter either—

(i) dies while resident in hospital before the expiry of the pre-payment certificate; or

(ii) remains in hospital until the expiry of the pre-payment certificate,

an application for repayment of that sum may be made, by or on behalf of that person or his estate, in accordance with paragraphs (7) and (8).

(7) An application under paragraph (6) shall be made to the Agency and shall be accompanied by the certificate (where granted) and a declaration in support of the claim, and the claim and any repayment shall be made in such manner and subject to such conditions as the Department may determine.

(8) An application under paragraph (6) shall be made—

(a) in a case falling within paragraph (6)(a), (b) or (c), not more than four months after the date on which the pre-payment certificate became valid;

(b) in a case falling within paragraph (6)(d)(i), not more than three months after the date of death; or

(c) in a case falling within paragraph (6)(d)(ii), not more than three months after the date on which the pre-payment certificate expired.