Removes notification requirement for Tamiflu, Relenza prescribing

UK New Legislation

Published April 1st, 2026

Detected April 7th, 2026

Summary

The Northern Ireland Department of Health has amended regulations to remove the notification requirement for prescribing influenza antivirals Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza) under general medical services contracts. The amendment to Schedule 2 of the 2004 Regulations takes effect 1st May 2026, allowing year-round prescribing of these treatments when other specified conditions are met.

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What changed

Regulation 2 amends Schedule 2 of the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations 2004 (S.R. 2004 No. 142), removing sub-paragraph (a) notification requirements for Oseltamivir and Zanamivir in both columns 1 and 2 of the table. This change eliminates the administrative notification step previously required before these antivirals could be prescribed, effectively expanding when and how these treatments may be ordered by prescribers.

General practitioners and other prescribers operating under GMS contracts in Northern Ireland should update prescribing protocols and systems to remove the notification requirement for Tamiflu and Relenza before 1st May 2026. The practical effect is that prescribers may now order these antivirals year-round without submitting prior notification, provided all other conditions in column 2 of Schedule 2 are satisfied.

What to do next

Update prescribing protocols to remove notification requirement for Oseltamivir and Zanamivir
Communicate prescribing changes to relevant clinical staff before 1st May 2026
Review other conditions in Schedule 2 to ensure all prescribing requirements are still met

Source document (simplified)

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally made). This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2026 No. 72

Health And Personal Social Services

The Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Made

1st April 2026

Coming into operation

1st May 2026

The Department of Health(1), in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 57D and 106(b) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(2), makes the following Regulations.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

These Regulations may be cited as the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 and shall come into operation on 1st May 2026.

Amendment of the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

—(1) Schedule 2 (drugs, medicines and other substances to be ordered only in certain circumstances) to the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations 2004(3) is amended as follows.

(a) in column 2 of the table (patient), in the entry relating to “Oseltamivir (Tamiflu)” omit sub-paragraph (a) in paragraphs (1) and (3) and in the entry relating to “Zanamivir (Relenza)” omit sub-paragraph (a) in column (1).

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 1st April 2026.

Cathy Harrison

A senior officer of the Department of Health

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health and Personal Social Services (General Medical Services Contracts) (Prescription of Drugs Etc) Regulations 2004 (“ the 2004 Regulations ”). The 2004 Regulations make provisions as to the drugs, medicines and other substances that may be ordered for patients in the provision of medical services under a general medical services contract within the meaning of Article 57 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1972.

Regulation 2 makes amendments to the table in Schedule 2 to the 2004 Regulations (Drugs, Medicines and Other Substances to be Ordered in Certain Circumstances), to remove the notification requirement specified in column 1 in relation to the circumstances under which influenza antiviral treatments Oseltamivir and Zanamivir can be ordered, which has the effect of allowing year-round prescribing of these treatments if the other conditions in column 2 of that table are met.

(1) See Section 1(5) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016

(2) S.I. 1972/1265 (N.I. 14); Article 57D was inserted by Article 4 of S.I. 2004/311 (N.I. 2)

(3) S.R. 2004 No. 142; amended by S.R. 2009 No. 394, S.R. 2010 No. 375, S.R. 2011 No. 327 and S.R. 2014 No. 215