The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Amendment (No. 3) Regulations 2002

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2000 (“the principal Regulations”).

Regulation 2(b) inserts a definition of local pharmaceutical services (“LPS”) into regulation 2(1) of the principal regulations. This is required consequential to other changes made to the principal regulations which provide that drugs or appliances provided under LPS are subject to the charging regime set out there. Further related changes are in regulations 2(a), 2(c), 2(d)(ii), 3(a), 3(b), 3(c)(ii) and 7(b).

Regulations 2(d)(ii), 3(c)(i), 4, 5, 6, 7(a), 7(c), 8(a)(i), 8(b)(i), 9(a)(i), 9(c), 9(d), 10(b) and 11 amend the principal regulations as a consequence of new arrangements for the discharge of health service functions by Primary Care Trusts.

Regulation 8(a)(ii) makes minor changes that result from the duties of one government department having shifted to another department.

Regulation 8 also amends the principal regulations in relation to exemption certificates, clarifying when they commence to be valid.

Regulation 9 amends the provisions in the principal regulations relating to pre-payment certificates (PPCs). These changes clarify the date upon which all PPCs become valid and enable applications for PPCs to be made other than on a form.

Regulation 10 makes a minor change to regulation 10 of the principal regulations, to make it clearer, but without changing its meaning.