Debate contribution: Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Registered Dental Hygienists, Registered Dental Therapists and Registered Pharmacy Technicians) Regulations 2024
Debate contribution by Mr Robin Swann on .
- MLA
- Mr Robin Swann
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 28 May 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Human Medicines (Amendments relating to Registered Dental Hygienists, Registered Dental Therapists and Registered Pharmacy Technicians) Regulations 2024
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4492145
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I beg to move
I seek the Assembly's approval for the making of the draft statutory instrument (SI), which will amend the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 or "HMRs", as they are commonly known, to allow dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer specified prescription-only medicines, pharmacy or general sales list medicines in the practitioner's scope of practice, under exemption, without the use of a patient-specific direction or a patient group direction or without obtaining a prescription. The statutory instrument will also enable registered pharmacy technicians to supply and administer medicines using patient group directions in any setting, including the health service and the independent and voluntary sectors. The HMRs are a set of UK laws that regulate the use of medicinal products for human use. They set out a comprehensive regime for the authorisation of products for their manufacture, import, distribution, sale and supply, for their labelling and advertising and for pharmacovigilance. Members will note that the amendments follow the completion of two UK-wide consultations to extend medicine responsibilities to the two regulated health professions. The consultation to enable dental hygienists and dental therapists to supply and administer specific medicines under the exemptions received over 2,700 responses, with 97% of respondents agreeing with the proposals. It was highlighted that the proposals will support dental hygienists and dental therapists in providing the right care to patients to reduce unnecessary delays, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. The amendments will also improve the use of a skills mix in health service dentistry to ensure that the full dental team can be utilised to deliver care to patients, which is an important element in improving access to health service dentistry. The job satisfaction of the professionals should also be improved by enabling them to work to the full scope of their practice. The second consultation, on proposals to amend the HMRs to enable the use by pharmacy technicians of patient group directions, received over 2,200 responses, and 84% of respondents agreed with the proposals. The amendments will enable registered pharmacy technicians to use patient group directions across England, Wales and Scotland in any setting, including the health service and the independent and voluntary sectors. They will be able to provide direct care to their patients, freeing up capacity in other parts of the healthcare system by supporting community pharmacy to provide more clinical services. I point out that the role of pharmacy technician is not currently a regulated and registered healthcare profession in Northern Ireland, so these amendments to the HMRs will not enable pharmacy technicians in Northern Ireland to use the patient group directions. However, once pharmacy technicians in Northern Ireland become a regulated and registered healthcare profession, a further amendment to the HMRs may be made to permit that. My officials attended the Health Committee on 2 May to outline the full policy intent of the draft statutory instrument and to respond to any questions that the Committee might have on the proposals. I am pleased to confirm that the Committee was content with the policy intent and agreed to the draft regulations being approved. It is with the Committee's support that I bring the statutory instrument before the wider Assembly and its Members. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
I thank the Chair of the Health Committee and its members for their contribution. I firmly believe that the introduction of the legislative provisions will benefit patients, the profession and the wider health service from the perspective that they share a common goal or aim to make it more convenient for all UK patients to get the medicines that they need at the time when and place where they need them. The provisions will reduce the need for appointments with additional health professionals just to receive the medicines needed, which often results in unnecessary delays to the start of treatment. I therefore commend the motion on the regulations to the Assembly. Before I finish, this may be the last occasion on which I address the Assembly as Health Minister, so I take the opportunity to thank Members for the support that they have given me in the role. I thank both Chairs of the Health Committee who served during my tenure, the officers and officials of the House and the Department officials who have supported me in this role. However, most of all, I thank the members of the healthcare profession, no matter where they worked across Northern Ireland or which role they were in, for the work and dedication that they gave the people of Northern Ireland throughout challenging times during the pandemic and especially in the last few months. Thank you, Deputy Speaker, for allowing me the opportunity to make those few personal comments. I commend the motion on the regulations to the Assembly.
801 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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