The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Matters to be considered when issuing directions in respect of opening hours

14.—(1) Where a Local Health Board issues a direction setting any days or times under this Schedule, it must in doing so seek to ensure that the hours at which premises are open for the provision of pharmaceutical services are such as to ensure that pharmaceutical services are provided on such days and at such times as are necessary to meet the needs of people in the neighbourhood, or other likely users of the premises, for pharmaceutical services.

(2) In considering the matters mentioned in sub-paragraph (1), the Local Health Board—

(a) must treat any local pharmaceutical services being provided in that neighbourhood at the days and times in question as if they were pharmaceutical services being so provided, and

(b) may have regard to any pharmaceutical services that are being provided in that neighbourhood in circumstances where the person providing the pharmaceutical services is not obliged to provide those services.

(3) The Local Health Board may only direct that an NHS appliance contractor may provide pharmaceutical services at premises for less than 30 hours in any week if it is satisfied that the arrangements for the supply of appliances in the neighbourhood are likely to be adequate to meet the need for such services at times when the NHS appliance contractor is not providing pharmaceutical services.

(4) A Local Health Board may only direct that an NHS appliance contractor must provide pharmaceutical services at premises for more than 30 hours in any week if a Local Health Board is satisfied that the NHS appliance contractor will receive reasonable remuneration in respect of the additional hours for which they are required to provide pharmaceutical services (and any additional remuneration payable under the Drug Tariff in respect of those hours is “reasonable remuneration” for these purposes).