Office of Public Sector Information

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make amendments to the following sets of Regulations:

1.  The National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Wales) Regulations 2001 (“the Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations”);

2.  The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services Regulations 1992 (“the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations”); and

3.  The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Wales) Regulations 2004 (“the GMS Contracts Wales Regulations”).

The changes are required as a result of the addition of two new categories of prescriber to the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997 (“the POM Order”).

The two new categories are: nurse independent prescribers and pharmacist independent prescribers.

Nurse independent prescribers may prescribe in accordance with Article 3A of the POM Order. Pharmacist independent prescribers may prescribe in accordance with Article 3B(2)(c) of the POM Order.

These Regulations provide that a nurse in Wales who is registered in the Nursing and Midwifery Register will be able to prescribe as a nurse independent prescriber once he or she has passed an accredited course. A pharmacist will be able to prescribe as a pharmacist independent prescriber provided the relevant pharmaceutical register shows that he or she is qualified to order drugs, medicines and appliances as a pharmacist independent prescriber.

These Regulations also update the definition of “supplementary prescriber” in the Pharmaceutical Services Regulations and the Charges for Drugs and Appliances Regulations to include optometrists. Optometrists are already included in the definition of supplementary prescriber in the GMS Contracts Wales Regulations.

These Regulations also update the definition of “independent nurse prescriber”.