Even though regulation 220 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 stipulates that Prescription Only Medicines and Pharmacy medicines may only be sold or  supplied by a pharmacist or if the transaction is supervised by a pharmacist, the NHS terms of service in each of the home nations also require prescribed medicines to be provided by or under the supervision of a pharmacist. Indeed, in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, supervision must be “direct”. Wales recently removed the requirement for supervision to be direct.

The requirement for supervision in the NHS terms of service seems increasingly anachronistic in view of the amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations that (a) allow medicines dispensed under the supervision of a pharmacist and (b) will from 10 December 2026 allow pharmacists to authorise pharmacy technicians to supervise the sale or supply. Wales has led the way again by amending its terms of service in Schedule 5 to the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) Wales Regulations 2020 so as to remove the requirement for supervision altogether. The amendment will take effect on 2 June 2026. The amendment is in line with the suggestion by PLEA Chair, David Reissner, in his Chemist & Druggist blog in January this year.