Citation and commencement

1.  These Regulations may be cited as the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2018 and come into force on 1st April 2018.

Amendment of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009

2.  The National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009(2) are amended as follows.

3.  In regulation 2(1) (interpretation and application)-

(a)for the definition of "advanced electronic signature" substitute-

""advanced electronic signature" means an advanced electronic signature within the meaning given in Article 3(11) of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC(3);";

(b)after the definition of "electronic prescription form" insert-

""electronic signature" has the meaning given to it by section 7(2) of the Electronic Communications Act 2000(4);";

(c)after the definition of "optometrist independent prescriber" insert-

""paramedic independent prescriber" means a person-

(d)in the definition of "prescriber"-

(i)at the end of paragraph (fa) omit "or"; and

(ii)after paragraph (fa) insert-

"(fb)a paramedic independent prescriber, or".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 2009 ("the 2009 Regulations"). Regulation 3 extends the definition of "prescriber" in regulation 2(1) of the 2009 Regulations by the insertion of a new category of independent prescriber, namely paramedic independent prescribers and also adds into that regulation a definition of "paramedic independent prescriber".

Regulation 3 additionally amends the definition of "advanced electronic signature" also in regulation 2(1) of the 2009 Regulations to reflect the definition in article 3(11) of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23rd July 2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market and repealing Directive 1999/93/EC and makes a consequential change by adding a new definition of "electronic signature".