Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (“the Pharmaceutical Regulations”) which govern the arrangements for the provision of pharmaceutical services under the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. The changes arise out of new arrangements for the independent prescribing of drugs and appliances by registered paramedics and therapeutic radiographers and the inclusion of registered dietitians as supplementary prescribers.

Regulation 2 inserts new definitions of “authorisation”, “paramedic independent prescriber” and “therapeutic radiographer independent prescriber” into regulation 2 of the Pharmaceutical Regulations. It also substitutes new definitions of “prescriber” and “relevant register” in this regulation and amends the definition of “supplementary prescriber” to include dietitians. Finally it inserts a new definition of “PTP” (pandemic treatment protocol) into this regulation which is part of new measures that are being introduced as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic, related to which is the expansion of the national programme for immunisation against influenza.

Regulation 3 amends Schedule 2 to the Pharmaceutical Regulations to make provision to allow chemists and dispensing doctors to supply in accordance with a “PTP”, which allows for the supply, without a prescription, of prescription only medicines used for the prevention or treatment of diseases that are, or in anticipation of them being imminently, pandemic. There are also supplementary provisions related to this requirement dealing with matters such as dispensing.