§ Mr. Pavittasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when the order amending the Medicines (Prescription Only) Order 1977 so as to provide a six months' transitional period will be made.
§ Mr. MoyleThe Medicines (Prescription Only) Amendment Order 1978 has now been made and copies are being laid before Parliament today. It will come into operation tomorrow.
By virtue of this amendment order medicinal products for human and animal use that before 1st February 1978 could legally have been sold or supplied without a prescription, and which became subject to prescription only control under the principal order, will be allowed to be sold or supplied without prescription for a further period of six months. The amendment order provides that where previous legislation required the sale or supply of such products to be recorded in a register or made against a signed order those procedures should be 708W followed during the six months' period as if the requirements had continued in force.
Also being laid today are the Medicines (Labelling) (Special Transitional) Regulations 1978. These regulations are designed to deal with problems which could arise with regard to the labelling of medicines by virtue of the introduction of this transitional exemption. They provide that during the same period of six months the requirements of the Medicines (Labelling) Regulations 1976 will be deemed to be satisfied by the labelling of medicinal products which, but for the provisions of the Medicines (Prescription Only) Amendment Order, would have satisfied those requirements.