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PNA regulation consultation

Current regulations to continue till April 2011

Dr Allan Tennant reports

2nd of December 2009

 

Pharmacy in England: building on strengths - delivering the future - Draft regulations under the Health Act 2009: pharmaceutical needs assessments. Consultation document has been published yesterday.


Following consultation in Autumn 2008, two clauses were introduced in the Health Bill 2009 (now the Health Act 2009).

  • to require Primary Care Trusts to develop and publish pharmaceutical needs assessments (PNAs); and

  • then to use PNAs as the basis for determining market entry to NHS pharmaceutical services provision

In July 2009, a regulatory Advisory Group drawn from interested parties (including the DDA) was set up, chaired by Paul Burns (Paul is the former Chief Officer of the FHS Appeal Unit at the NHS Litigation Authority and now works as a pharmacy consultant) to translate these proposals into reality.

 

The DH now seeks comment on the first set of draft regulations regarding PNAs for consultation.

 

Responses should be sent by 28 February 2010 to PNACONS@dh.gsi.gov.uk

 

Although the consultation ends in 3 months the DH intends the regulations to come into force in only four months.

However Primary Care Trusts will not be required to produce their first PNA until February 2011.

The current market entry system as set out in the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2005 as amended and accompanying guidance continues to remain in force until such time as the regulations implementing the second provision in the Health Act are brought in. This is planned to take place from April 2011.

 

The DDA will of course be responding. However I am sure dispensing doctors and dispensing patients will have a view on this consultation.

 

Consultation documents





 

 

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