These Regulations amend the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (“the principal Regulations”) which regulate contracts for the provision of general medical services under the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

The Regulations amend the principal Regulations to make provision for the electronic transmission of prescriptions, and to make amendments consequential on the revocation of the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2001, and their replacement by the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (“the 2007 Regulations”).

Regulation 2(2) inserts into the principal Regulations definitions of “the 2007 Regulations”, “advanced electronic signature”, “electronic communication”, “electronic prescription form”, “electronic signature”, “e-Pharmacy Service”, and “non-electronic prescription form”, and substitutes a new definition of “prescription form”.

Regulation 2(7)(b)(i) amends paragraph 44(9) of Schedule 5 to the principal Regulations to take account of the possibility that a declaration of entitlement to exemption or remission from charges may be separate from the prescription form.