The Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010

Made: 12th November 2010

Coming into operation: 15th November 2010

The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57D and 106(b) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972[^f00001], makes the following Regulations.

Citation and Commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 and shall come into operation on 15th November 2010.

Amendment of the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

2

• (1) Schedule 2 (drugs, medicines and other substances to be ordered only in certain circumstances) to the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations 2004[^f00002] is amended as follows.

• (2) For the entry for “Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)” which is referred to in column 1—

• (a) in the part which relates to “Treatment of influenza” (as mentioned in column 3), in column 2, in paragraph (1), from the words “At-risk adult” to the end of sub-paragraph (a), substitute—

A patient who is aged 1 year or over and who is at clinical risk or a patient who is pregnant or aged 65 years or over, where— (a) the Department has notified general medical practitioners that the influenza virus is circulating in the community[^f00003];

; and

• (b) in the part which relates to “Prophylaxis of influenza” (as mentioned in column 3), in column 2, in paragraph (3), from the words “At-risk patients” to the end of sub-paragraph (a), substitute—

A patient who is aged 1 year or over and who is at clinical risk or a patient who is pregnant or aged 65 years or over, where— (a) the Department has notified general medical practitioners that the influenza virus is circulating in the community;

• (3) For the entry for “Zanamivir (Relenza)” which is referred to in column 1, in the part which relates to “Treatment of influenza” (as mentioned in column 3), in column 2, in paragraph (1)—

• (a) from the words “At-risk adult” to the end of sub-paragraph (a), substitute—

A patient who is aged 5 years or over and who is at clinical risk or a patient who is pregnant or aged 65 years or over, where— (a) the Department has notified general medical practitioners that the influenza virus is circulating in the community;

; and

• (b) for sub-paragraph (c) substitute—

(c) in the case of a patient— (i) who has attained the age of 5 years but not the age of 13 years, that patient can start therapy within 36 hours of the onset of symptoms; and (ii) who is aged 13 years or over, that patient can start therapy within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.

• (4) At the end of the Table, in the interpretation provision—

• (a) omit the definitions of “at-risk” and “child”; and

• (b) in the appropriate alphabetical order, insert—

“at clinical risk” means in relation to a patient, a patient who— (a) has chronic respiratory disease; (b) has asthma that requires continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or with previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission; (c) has chronic heart disease; (d) has chronic renal failure; (e) has chronic liver disease; (f) has chronic neurological disease; (g) has diabetes; or (h) is immunosuppressed;

and

“general medical practitioner” has the same meaning as in the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004[^f00004];

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 12th November 2010

Christine Jendoubi — A senior officer of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations amend the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations 2004.

Regulation 2 amends Schedule 2 so the description of persons in respect of which Oseltamivir and Zanamivir may be ordered is widened and also to clarify the description of patients for whom both drugs may be ordered. The description of patients is widened so as to include pregnant patients and is also widened so those patients at clinical risk include those who have chronic liver disease and chronic neurological disease. The conditions which have to be met before both drugs are ordered are also amended. Oseltamivir may be ordered for patients who are aged 1 year and older who are at clinical risk. In the case of Zanamivir, that drug may be ordered for patients aged 5 years or over who are at clinical risk. In the case of a patient who has attained the age of 5 years but not the age of 13 years, Zanamivir may only be ordered if therapy can start within 36 hours of the onset of symptoms and in the case of patients aged 13 years or over, therapy can start within 48 hours.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14) ; Article 57D was inserted by Article 4 of S.I. 2004/311 (N.I. 2)

[^f00002]: S.R. 2004 No. 142; amended by S.R. 2009 No. 394

[^f00003]: Notification is given by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety via a letter from the Chief Medical Officer to general practitioners and other health professionals in or connected with the provision of health services. In addition the notification is placed on the DHSSPS website which iswww.dhsspsni.gov.uk

[^f00004]: S.R. 2004 No.140 to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations