Changes to the Pharmaceutical Regulations – Closures for learning and development
From the 1st October 2026 the Terms of Service allow a pharmacy to close for training and development during core opening hours (without having to make up the time). Pharmacies may close for up to four hours
in each calendar month provided that the pharmacy/owner complies with the following:
Notice
▪ Gives 30 days’ notice to ICB in advance of the closure; and
▪ The ICB has not objected to the closure because it would lead to a disruption of pharmacy services in the area (e.g. another pharmacy in the relevant area is closing at the same time).
Time of the week/day
▪ No part of the closure is on a Saturday or Sunday
▪ No part of the closure is within the first 3 hours of the first weekday opening or the last 3 hours of the last weekday opening (e.g. Monday morning start or Friday afternoon end, respectively)
▪ For a 100-hour pharmacy (a pharmacy subject to the 100-hour conditions – this could be open 72 hours a week), no part of the closure is between 5-9pm Monday to Friday.
Pharmacy actions in advance of the closure
▪ Local general practices that are accustomed to sending patients to the pharmacy for dispensing emergency prescriptions and Advanced services are informed of the closure;
▪ The pharmacy profile for the pharmacy in the Directory of Services and on the NHS website is amended via NHS Profile Manager.
▪ A notice is displayed, which, where practicable, can be read by somebody outside the pharmacy premises, which specifies the days and times the pharmacy is closed for learning and development.
For DSPs, their public website page on which their normal opening hours are displayed must have that information.
For pharmacies located within Southeast England who wish to close for training and development during core hours within the next 12 months please notify the ICB by submitting an online notification detailed below.
⇒MEETING LINK