The Department of Health (DH) has refused to extend the deadline for pharmacy information governance requirements, reiterating the need to attain level two by March 31.

This applied to everything except the business continuity planning requirement, PSNC confirmed.

The comments came after Avicenna CEO Salim Jetha wrote to the DH requesting a 60 day extension of the deadline.

The time taken to complete the whole process added to the pressures pharmacists already faced, Mr Jetha said.

The time required to complete the whole process would be between 30 and 60 hours, Mr Jetha explained in his letter submitted to the DH on March 22.

However, the published deadline was fixed, a DH spokesperson confirmed.

"There is some flexibility for community pharmacies to publish their assessments after March 31, but DH and PSNC have agreed that community pharmacies will be expected to attain level two against each of the pharmacy information governance requirements by March 31, 2011," the spokesperson said.

"The baseline assessment, which last year was a straightforward exercise, may have led to some complacency with pharmacies who did not appreciate the work involved [this year]," he said.

Pharmacists struggling to meet the deadline should contact their PCT in the first instance, the DH confirmed.

"In the first instance, pharmacies should speak to their PCT regarding late submissions," it added.