Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Regulations 2006 and shall come into force on 1st May 2006.

(2) In these Regulations, “the 2001 Regulations” means the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001(2).

Amendment of regulation 2 of the 2001 Regulations

2.  In regulation 2 of the 2001 Regulations (interpretation), in paragraph (1)—

(a)omit the definition of “extended formulary nurse prescriber”(3);

(b)after the definition of “medicinal product” insert the following definition—

““nurse independent prescriber” has the same meaning as in the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997(4), and such a person may only prescribe controlled drugs in accordance with regulation 6B;”; and

(c)in the definition of “prescription”, for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber”(5) substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”.

Amendment of regulation 6B of the 2001 Regulations

3.  In regulation 6B of the 2001 Regulations (authority for Extended Formulary Nurse Prescribers to prescribe)(6)—

(a)in the heading, for “Extended Formulary Nurse Prescribers” substitute “Nurse Independent Prescribers”;

(b)for “An extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “A nurse independent prescriber”;

(c)in sub-paragraph (a), omit “diazepam, lorazepam, midazolam,”;

(d)in sub-paragraph (e), at the end insert “; and”; and

(e)after sub-paragraph (e), insert—

“(f)diazepam, lorazepam or midazolam for use in palliative care or treatment of tonic-clonic seizures.”

Amendment of regulation 7 of the 2001 Regulations

4.  In regulation 7(7) of the 2001 Regulations (administration of drugs in Schedules 2, 3, 4 and 5)—

(a)in paragraph (4), for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”; and

(b)in paragraph (5)—

(i)for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”, and

(ii)for “the extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “the nurse independent prescriber”.

Amendment of regulation 8 of the 2001 Regulations

5.  In regulation 8(8) of the 2001 Regulations (production and supply of drugs in Schedules 2 and 5), in paragraph (7), for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”.

Amendment of regulation 9 of the 2001 Regulations

6.  In regulation 9(9) of the 2001 Regulations (production and supply of drugs in Schedules 3 and 4), in paragraph (7)—

(a)for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber” substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”; and

(b)in sub-paragraph (a), after “care” add “or treatment of tonic-clonic seizures”.

Amendment of regulation 10 of the 2001 Regulations

7.  In regulation 10(10) of the 2001 Regulations (possession of drugs in Schedules 2, 3 and 4), in paragraph (2)—

(a)for “an extended formulary nurse prescriber”, in both places those words appear, substitute “a nurse independent prescriber”; and

(b)in sub-paragraph (a), for “extended formulary nurse prescriber”, in both places those words appear, substitute “nurse independent prescriber”.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (“the 2001 Regulations”). Regulations 2 to 7 amend regulations 2, 6B and 7 to 10 of the 2001 Regulations, to replace references to “extended formulary nurse prescribers” with references to “nurse independent prescribers”. The effect is that nurse independent prescribers will be allowed to prescribe, supply, possess, administer and give directions for the administration of specified controlled drugs in those circumstances in which extended formulary nurse prescribers were previously able to.

Regulations 3(c) to (e) and 6(b) amend regulations 6B and 9 of the 2001 Regulations to allow nurse independent prescribers to prescribe and supply diazepam, lorazepam and midazolam for the treatment of tonic-clonic seizures.