Two new regulations have been signed this morning to allow pharmacies to access prescriptions electronically and to introduce other measures to relieve pressure on GPs and pharmacists during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has signed the two statutory instruments to change the way prescriptions are issued and repeated. The legislation aims to reduce the need for people to attend their GP surgery during the outbreak.
The regulations will lengthen the time of a valid prescription from 6 months to 9 months. They will also give discretion to pharmacists to give repeat prescriptions without necessarily requiring a new prescription.