Health Bill

My hon. Friend makes an important point, which we will look into carefully when we draw up the detailed regulations to give effect to the provision. In order to ensure that patient safety is in no way compromised, a responsible pharmacist will have to be in charge of every pharmacy. However, because he or she may not have to dispense every item, it will be possible to make much better use of the range of skills within the pharmacy team. We are also reforming the entry requirements governing the provision of pharmacy services by implementing in England the final elements of the balanced package of reforms that we published in response to the Office of Fair Trading report two years ago. Similarly, in modernising ophthalmic services, we are relaxing the current restrictions on who can provide them.