The Human Medicines (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2015
The 2015 law amendments allowing for provision of take home naloxone in the UK.
Explanatory Note
These Regulations amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 (the 2012 Regulations).
Regulation 7 amends regulation 233 of the 2012 Regulations to enable Public Health England and the Regional Agency for Public Health and Social Well-being in Northern Ireland to enter into arrangements with retail pharmacists to supply prescription only medicines under a patient group direction (PGD). A PGD is a written instruction for the supply or administration of medicines to patients in defined clinical situations without the need for a prescription.
Regulation 10 amends Schedule 17 to the 2012 Regulations to enable the prescription only medicine naloxone hydrochloride to be supplied by drug treatment services for the purpose of saving life in an emergency.
Regulation 9 amends the 2012 Regulations so that the new provisions relating to patient group directions and to drug treatment services are subject to review by the Secretary of State.
Additionally, regulations 3 to 6 and 8 make minor corrections, including updating cross-references and removing obsolete provisions in the 2012 Regulations.