2003 No. 296
NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE

The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003

Made
Laid before the Scottish Parliament
Coming into force
The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 27(2), 28(1), 105(7) and 108(1) of, and paragraph 11(b) and (c) of Schedule 1 to, the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 19781 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.

(1)

These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2003 and shall come into force on 30th June 2003.

(2)

In these Regulations, “the principal Regulations” means the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 19952.

Amendment of regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations

2.

(1)

Regulation 2(1) of the principal Regulations (interpretation and application) is amended as follows.

(2)

Omit the definition of “nurse prescriber”3.

(3)

For the definition of “prescription form”4 substitute–

““prescription form” means a form–

(a)

on which the provision of pharmaceutical services may be ordered by–

  1. (i)

    a Board;

  2. (ii)

    an NHS trust;

  3. (iii)

    a doctor or dentist pursuant to the provisions of their terms of service;

  4. (iv)
    a dentist performing personal dental services in accordance with a pilot scheme under Part I of the National Health Service (Primary Care) Act 19975;
  5. (v)

    a supplementary prescriber; or

  6. (vi)

    an independent nurse prescriber; and

(b)

which contains on its reverse side a form of declaration of entitlement to exemption;”.

(4)

Insert each of the following definitions at the appropriate alphabetical place:–

““independent nurse prescriber” means–

(a)

a person whose name is registered–

  1. (i)
    in Part 1 or 12 of the nurses' and midwives' professional register and has a district nurse qualification additionally recorded in the nurses' and midwives' professional register pursuant to rule 11 of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Rules 19836; or
  2. (ii)

    in Part 11 of the nurses' and midwives' professional register as a health visitor,

and against whose name is recorded in the nurses' and midwives' professional register an annotation signifying that the person is qualified to order drugs, medicines and appliances from the Nurse Prescribers' Formulary for Community Nurses and Health Visitors in Part 8B of the Drug Tariff; or

(b)

a person–

  1. (i)

    whose name is registered in Parts 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 of the nurses' and midwives' professional register; and

  2. (ii)

    against whose name is recorded in the nurses' and midwives' professional register an annotation signifying that the person is qualified to order drugs, medicines and appliances from the Nurse Prescribers' Extended Formulary in Part 8C of the Drug Tariff;”;

““nurses' and midwives' professional register” means the register maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Council pursuant to paragraph 10 of Schedule 2 to the Nursing and Midwifery Order 20017;”;

““supplementary prescriber” means a person whose name is registered in–

(a)

Parts 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 or 15 of the nurses' and midwives' professional register;

(b)

the Register of Pharmaceutical Chemists maintained in pursuance of section 2(1) of the Pharmacy Act 19548; or

(c)

the register maintained in pursuance of Articles 6 and 9 of the Pharmacy (Northern Ireland) Order 19769,

and against whose name is recorded in the relevant register an annotation signifying that the person is qualified to order drugs, medicines and appliances as a supplementary prescriber;”.

(4)

Omit paragraph (1A) (specified description of a nurse or health visitor mentioned in the definition of “nurse prescriber”).

Amendment to Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations

3.

(1)

Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations (terms of service for pharmacists) is amended as follows.

(2)

Omit paragraph 1(a) (definition of “prescription form”).

(3)

In paragraph 3(1)(a), after “doctor” insert “, a supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

(4)

In paragraph 3(1)(b), after “doctor” insert “, a supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

(5)

In paragraph 3(4), for “or a nurse prescriber”10 substitute “, a supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

(6)

In paragraph 3(6), for “or nurse prescriber” substitute “, a supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

(7)

In paragraph 3(7), for “or nurse prescriber” substitute “, a supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

(8)

In paragraph 3(11), for “or nurse prescriber” substitute “, supplementary prescriber or an independent nurse prescriber”.

Amendment to Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations

4.

(1)

Part I of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations (pharmacy practices committee) is amended as follows.

(2)

In paragraph 6(2), after “paragraph 3(1)(b)(i)”, insert “or (c)”.

5.

(1)

Part II of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations (national appeal panel) is amended as follows.

(2)

For paragraph 14(2) substitute–

“(2)

A member–

(a)

appointed by virtue of paragraph 11(3)(c) and whose name is included in any pharmaceutical list or who is an employee of a person so listed;

(b)

nominated by virtue of paragraph 11(3)(d); or

(c)

who is the vice chairman, provided the person is not acting as chairman,

is entitled to vote.”.

MALCOLM CHISHOLM
A member of the Scottish Executive

St Andrew’s House Edinburgh

(This note is not part of these Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995 (“the principal Regulations”) which regulate the provision of pharmaceutical services under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

These Regulations make changes to the principal Regulations arising out of the designation of a new category of prescriber of medicines and appliances for human use. Under amendments to the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997 which came into force on 4th April 2003, “supplementary prescribers”, who are appropriately qualified nurses and pharmacists, have been given new rights to prescribe prescription only medicines under an agreed clinical management plan for an individual patient. These “supplementary prescribers” will also be qualified to prescribe other medicines and appliances under such plans.

In particular, regulation 2 deletes the pre-existing definition of “nurse prescriber” in the principal Regulations and inserts new definitions of “prescription form”, “supplementary prescriber”, “independent nurse prescriber” and other related definitions, to differentiate between the different categories of nurses who may prescribe.

Regulation 4 amends Part I of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations to clarify that members appointed to the Pharmacy Practices Committee under paragraph 3(1)(c) of that Schedule have the right to vote.

Regulation 5 amends Part II of Schedule 4 to the principal Regulations to clarify that members appointed to the National Appeal Panel under paragraph 11(3)(d) of that Schedule have the right to vote.