# Charges for Drugs and Appliances (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, Note: Explanatory note

Extent: N.I.

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations revoke and replace the Charges for Drugs and Appliances (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 to correct a technical error therein.
The Regulations amend the Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the principal Regulations”), which provide for the making and recovery of charges for drugs and appliances supplied by doctors and chemists providing pharmaceutical services, and by hospitals and HSS trusts to out-patients.
The charge for each item on prescription is increased from £5·65 to £5·80. The sums prescribed for the grant of pre-payment certificates of exemption from prescription charges are increased from £29·30 to £30·10 for a 4 month certificate and from £80·50 to £82·70 for a 12 month certificate.
The charge for elastic stockings is increased from £5·65 to £5·80 for each item (from £11·30 to £11·60 per pair) and for tights from £11·30 to £11·60.
The charge for a partial human hair wig is increased from £123·00 to £126·00, and for a stock modacrylic wig from £47·00 to £48·00. The charge for a full bespoke human hair wig is increased from £179·50 to £184·50. The charge for an abdominal or spinal support from £29·05 to £29·50.
These Regulations also make provision for all nurses employed by medical practitioners (and not just those employed in fundholding practices) to write prescriptions (regulation 2).
The Regulations provide in addition for the reduction of the remuneration of a doctor who provides pharmaceutical services to a patient by the amount of the charge recoverable under the Regulations (regulation 4(c)).
Transitional arrangements are made in respect of pre-payment certificates and appliances ordered, before 1st April 1998 (regulation 8).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1998/135/note (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/charges-for-drugs-and-appliances-amendment-no-2-regulations-northern-ireland-1998/note
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.