These Regulations consolidate with amendments the Regulations which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances (other than dental and optical appliances) supplied under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

Accordingly, these Regulations provide for charges for drugs and appliances supplied by chemists and doctors providing pharmaceutical services (regulations 3 and 4) and by Boards and HSS trusts to patients who are not resident in hospital (regulation 5).

The Regulations provide in addition for— the reduction of a chemist’s remuneration by the amount of the charge recoverable under the Regulations (regulation 3(6)); a doctor providing pharmaceutical services to send each month a sum equal to the total of the charges recovered under the Regulations to the Central Services Agency (regulation 4(6)); the remission of charges (regulations 3(2), 4(2), 5(2) and 7); the application for and the issue of exemption certificates (regulations 2(1) and 8); the payment for certificates granting exemption from charges otherwise payable under these Regulations (regulation 9); the repayment of charges (regulation 10); and the revocation of the superseded Regulations on charges for drugs and appliances (regulation 12).

The Regulations include a new provision which requires patients, who obtain drugs from a dispensing doctor, and who are claiming entitlement to exemption or remission from charges, to make a written declaration on the prescription form to that effect (regulation 4(2)).