Section 60 Order consultation delayed again
The timetable for the modernisation of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s regulatory processes has been put back for a fourth time.
Consultation on an Order in Council under Section 60 of the Health Act
1999 will not now take place until August, with the Order itself being
made in April 2006.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said that the delay is due to a reassessment
of the volume of work involved. She added that the content of the Order
would not be affected by the long-term review of non-medical regulation
led by DoH workforce director Andrew Foster.
Nicholas Wood, President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society said: “It
is a matter of great concern to us that the Department of Health has
announced yet further delays in the pharmacy Order. These delays are
entirely unacceptable.
“We have worked through a difficult process to develop our Charter
in parallel with the Government’s Order but now this timetable
has slipped again. This delay, which is entirely outside of our control,
will be deeply disappointing to the profession. This uncertainty about
our future powers will be unsettling for the profession at this time.
We also know that the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence shares
our concerns.
“We gain some reassurance, however, that the content of the Order
will not be affected by the review of non-medical regulation being led
by
Andrew Foster and that the Department of Health has made public its new
revised timetable.” |
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