Health Secretary Alex Neil today announced that the Scottish Government is to make changes to legislation to give rural communities affected by pharmacy applications additional powers.

The new regulations will introduce a range of new provisions to make the pharmacy application process more transparent to local communities and give them a stronger voice.

The changes will improve arrangements for public consultation and community engagement in the wider pharmacy application process, as well as introducing statutory timeframes for health boards to reach decisions.

NHS boards will also be required to apply new tests when considering pharmacy applications in designated and clearly identified rural or remote areas.

They will be given powers to refuse a pharmacy application if they would adversely impact on the security and sustainable provision of existing NHS primary medical and pharmaceutical services in the area concerned.

Health Secretary Alex Neil said: “In recent years there has been understandable concern from communities in rural and remote areas about the impact that the opening of a new pharmacy might have on their local GP services. That’s why I announced an immediate review of the existing arrangements in September last year with a view to amending the legislation.

“A key element of that review was to test a number of proposals in our public consultation earlier this year. The responses to that consultation have been independently analysed and showed broad support for our proposals - the amended regulations build on those proposals.

“The new arrangements which will come in to force next month, are intended to promote stability of GP and pharmaceutical services in rural areas, whilst also ensuring local communities across Scotland have adequate access to a qualified pharmacist.

“By introducing these safeguards, this government is supporting local communities and ensuring that there is a mechanism for their voice to be heard if there are strong concerns about pharmacy applications in their area.”

Proposed changes to the regulations have been supported by both the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland and the Royal College of General Practitioners, Scotland.

In her response to the consultation, Aileen Bryson, Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland said: “We fully support the need for dispensing doctors in remote and rural areas, where there is no possibility of providing a full NHS pharmacy service, and are delighted to see an acknowledgement of the requirement for pharmaceutical care to be provided in addition to dispensing.”

Miles Mack, Royal College of General Practitioners, Scotland said in his response to the consultation: “The designation of ‘controlled remote and rural and isolated localities’ will be a significant step forward in health service planning for these areas.”

Background

In September 2013, the Scottish Government announced an immediate review of the regulatory framework governing the pharmacy application process and the powers that allow NHS Boards to authorise or require GP Practices to dispense medicines and appliances to patients on their practice lists.

A full and open public consultation ran from 12 December 2013 to 20 February 2014, and sought views from the public and a wide range of key stakeholders on a range of proposals.

The consultation Report is published today (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/05/7116).

The amendments to the provisions for the “Control of Entry” application process are being laid today and will come into force on 28th June 2014 (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ssi/2014/148).