The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations 2004

Bulk prescribing

44.—(1) Where—

(a) a contractor is responsible under the contract for the treatment of 10 or more persons in a school or other institution in which at least 20 persons normally reside; and

(b) a prescriber orders, for any two or more of those persons for whose treatment the contractor is responsible, drugs, medicines or appliances to which this paragraph applies,

the prescriber may use a single prescription form for the purpose.

(2) Where a prescriber uses a single prescription form for the purpose mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(b), he shall (instead of entering on the form the names of the persons for whom the drugs, medicines or appliances are ordered) enter on the form—

(a) the name of the school or institution in which those persons reside; and

(b) the number of persons residing there for whose treatment the contractor is responsible.

(3) This paragraph applies to any drug, medicine or appliance which can be supplied as part of pharmaceutical services or local pharmaceutical services and which—

(a) in the case of a drug or medicine, is not a product of a description or class which is for the time being specified in an order made under section 58(1) of the Medicines Act 1968 (medicinal products on prescription only)(1); or

(b) in the case of an appliance, does not contain such a product.

(1)

Section 58(1) was amended by the Medicinal Products: Prescription by Nurses etc. Act 1992 (c. 28), section 1 and the 2001 Act, section 63(2).