As an outcome of the work of the Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme Board, the Department of Health and Social Care (London) has launched two UK wide consultations on behalf of the 4 UK health departments.
The consultations relate to the following draft Orders:
- The Pharmacy (Preparation and Dispensing Errors – Hospitals and Other Pharmacy Services) Order 2018
- The Pharmacy (Responsible Pharmacists, Superintendent Pharmacists etc) Order 2018
Chief Executive of the Pharmaceutical Society NI and a member of the Rebalancing Board, Trevor Patterson, welcomed the publication of the consultations.
In a statement Mr Patterson said:
“I am delighted that we are now considering an extension to hospital pharmacists and those providing relevant pharmacy services of the defence that has already been established for community pharmacists. It has long been recognised that the threat of prosecution is a potential barrier to reporting and learning from errors”
On the draft Pharmacy (Responsible Pharmacists, Superintendent Pharmacists etc) Order 2018 Mr Patterson said:
“This presents an opportunity to review and update the legislation relating to Responsible Pharmacists and Superintendent Pharmacists to reflect governance expectations and developing models of practice. The consultation aims to clarify the relationship between the Responsible Pharmacist and Superintendent Pharmacist in the context of overall governance.”
“I am also delighted that this draft Order contains proposals to provide the Pharmaceutical Society NI with the provision of a Deputy Registrar”
“I would encourage pharmacists, members of the public and interested parties in Northern Ireland to respond to this important public consultation”.
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Notes:
The first draft Order seeks to extend defences that already exist for pharmacy professionals working at or from registered pharmacies in the case of accidental preparation and dispensing errors. It aims to provide a defence for pharmacy professionals working in hospitals and other relevant pharmacy services.
The second draft Order seeks to clarify and strengthen the arrangements of registered pharmacies concerning how they are governed. Specifically, it makes proposals around the roles of responsible pharmacists and superintendent pharmacists in primary legislation with the responsibility for relevant standards passing to the pharmacy regulators, rather than within ministerial Regulations.
The consultation document and information on how to respond can be found here:
A Statement from the Chair of the Rebalancing Board, Ken Jarrold, CBE, and a series of Frequently Asked Questions, can be found here:
app.box.com/s/mxwqd6oqtj7tkuwmpa5371deaasrshzq/folder/41901920804
The Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme Board reviews relevant pharmacy legislation and regulation to ensure it:
- provides safety for users of pharmacy services
- reduces any unnecessary legislation
- allows innovation and development of pharmacy practice
The board advises ministers on the development of policy. It will also oversee policy delivery to help ensure that the Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme meets its objectives.
More information on the Rebalancing Board can be found here:
www.gov.uk/government/groups/pharmacy-regulation-programme-board