February 12th 2026

By Ailsa Colquhoun

DHSC consults on widening supply chain information collection

Proposals to amend the Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018 widen the scope of the regulation to inform the new category H of the Drug Tariff and include hub pharmacies.

This consultation aims to reduce supply shortages, and includes the following provisions:

• To allow DHSC to routinely collect, on a quarterly basis, supply and purchase information on unbranded generic and special products, rather than relying on the current ad hoc provisions. This is with a view to adding the products to Part VIII of the Drug Tariff.
• To introduce a provision to the information regulations that allows DHSC to routinely collect, on a quarterly basis, sales and volume data for branded and generic medicines in Category H of the Drug Tariff
• To require pharmacies acting in the capacity of a hub, as a supplier to community pharmacies providing NHS pharmaceutical services to record, to keep and provide information about their purchase, sale and supply of health service products that they supply to a ‘spoke’ business.

The consultation closes on Tuesday 5 May and responses can be made online.

The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018 currently require dispensing practices (England only) to keep invoices or supporting information related to medicines for NHS dispensing for four years, for presentation on request.

Further information is available in the DDA Dispensing Guidance 2025-28 (p46)