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End to temporary suspension of submission of certain EPS tokens and patient signatures on pharmacy, dental and eye care forms

This is an announcement on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Since 1 November 2020 to 31 August 2021 the requirement for patient (or their representatives) signatures on NHS prescription, dental and eye care forms was temporarily suspended. The requirement for community pharmacies to submit certain EPS tokens was also suspended.

From 1 September 2021 patients (or their representatives) will again be required to sign the reverse of NHS prescription, dental and eye care forms or tokens for all prescriptions presented at the pharmacy on or after 1 September 2021.

Starting with claims for September NHS prescriptions, contractors are required to submit any relevant EPS tokens to the NHSBSA with their monthly prescription bundles.

EPS tokens for age exempt patients, prescriptions where only free-of-charge (FOC) items are prescribed, where Real Time Exemption Checking (RTEC) confirms an exemption, or where a smaller quantity (in comparison with the prescription) of a drug is supplied in accordance with a Serious Shortage Protocol are exempt from submitting them to the NHSBSA.