Regulatory changes, including the National Enhanced Service come into effect

Amendments to the NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 along with introduction of a new type of pharmaceutical service come into effect from Tuesday (December 21) and from January 1, 2022.

PSNC will be consulted on the new type of enhanced service – the National Enhanced Service (NES), where NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE&I) commissions an enhanced service with a service specification that sets standard conditions nationally.

Other amendments to the regulations include:

• Changes in the contractors’ terms of service, allowing NHSE&I to introduce a pandemic response programme, by which contractors are required to have various premises and other arrangements for responding to a pandemic
• An alternative route to supply pandemic treatments, via a listed prescription items voucher (LPIV). This is a further option for the community pharmacy for supply of treatments or medicines during or in anticipation of pandemic disease;
• The publication date of the revised Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (PNA), October 1, 2022, is now included in the regulations; and
• A new market entry regulation 21A is introduced and provides that NHSE&I must refuse certain routine applications for additional opening hours.