Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish the outcome of the consultation on Pharmacy legislation on dispensing errors and organisational governance.

The Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme Board met on 18 October 2018 and 23 November 2018 to discuss the responses received to the public consultation on the draft Pharmacy (Preparation and Dispensing Errors – Hospital and Other Pharmacy Services) Order 2018 and the draft Pharmacy (Responsible Pharmacists, Superintendent Pharmacists etc.) Order 2018.

After considering the responses received at length, the Board has recommended that all proposals made in respect of the two draft Orders are progressed - albeit with minor amendments to the draft Pharmacy (Responsible Pharmacists, Superintendent Pharmacists etc.) Order 2018. These proposed amendments will be subject to agreement with Parliamentary Counsel.

The Department remains committed to laying the two draft Orders before Parliament as quickly as possible, subject to legal and Parliamentary time and European Union exit preparations. The Government’s response to the consultation will be laid in Parliament alongside the draft legislation.