Section 23 – Persons performing pharmaceutical care services
105.This section inserts a new section 17X into the 1978 Act.
106.Subsection (1) provides for regulation-making powers governing the ways in which persons performing pharmaceutical care services are listed. The regulations may prevent registered pharmacists from performing pharmaceutical care services for Health Boards unless their name appears on a list held by the Health Board that has the duty to secure or provide those services. An obligation to be on the list of a Health Board before performing services in that Health Board’s area remains even if the services are carried out as part of a contract with a neighbouring Health Board that is using its powers under section 2CA(1) of the Act to provide or secure the provision of pharmaceutical care services in the area of another Health Board.
107.Section 17X ends the current arrangements whereby the Health Board’s pharmaceutical list contains the names of persons or businesses with whom the Health Board has made an arrangement to provide pharmaceutical services, and under which only the principal providers of those services are listed, and thereby subject to ‘terms of service’ requirements. The need to list contractors for ‘terms of service’ requirements is no longer necessary as arrangements will be governed by the terms of arrangements which Health Boards enter into with persons to secure the provisions of pharmaceutical care services under section 2CA.
108.The new listing arrangements will apply to all registered pharmacists wishing to perform pharmaceutical care services, i.e. whether contractors or employed or engaged by contractors.
109.Subsection (2) of section 17X sets out the particular issues that may be included in the regulations. These include, for example: how the list will be drawn up and maintained; what criteria an individual will have to meet to qualify to be on the list; the process by which decision on applications will be made; and mandatory grounds under which a Health Board would have to reject an application.