The GPhC’s governing council has agreed to consult on proposed fee levels.
The key proposals on fee levels include:
- Increase annual renewal fee for pharmacists by £10, from £240 to £250. This represents an increase of 4.17% above current levels, although the proposed fee remains lower than the 2011 registration fee of £267.
- Increase annual renewal fee for pharmacy technicians by £10, from £108 to £118. This an increase of 9.26% above current levels, although the proposed fee remains lower than the 2011 registration fee of £120.
- Increase annual renewal for pharmacy premises by £20, from £221 to £241.
- Increase other fees by various amounts, at rates slightly above inflation, in order to better reflect the costs of regulation.
Commenting on the proposed feel levels, Duncan Rudkin, Chief Executive of the GPhC, said:
“Having good, effective regulation is important for patient safety, but it also allows patients to have confidence in the profession and the pharmacies from which they receive medicines and pharmaceutical care.
“Although relatively small in cash terms, we are conscious that the proposed £10 fee increase will affect pharmacy technicians disproportionally. However, our fees need to reflect the underlying cost of regulating each registrant group and we need to avoid, where possible, any significant future fluctuations. Calculating the underlying costs per registrant group involves a complex process and there is no perfect formula. We are confident that the data used to inform this recommendation is robust.
“Income from fees must meet the cost of overall regulation. Even against the background of a continually expanding register and higher than ever levels of complaints, the proposed cash increase of £10 means that fees for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in 2016 will still be lower than those charged in 2011.
“To reach our objective to breakeven by 2017/18, we are also strongly committed to driving down our operating costs and achieving further operational efficiencies. We will undertake a comprehensive efficiency and effectiveness review in 2015 to help us challenge our cost base.”
The GPhC is keen to hear feedback on both the approach and specific recommendations from a wide cross section of the profession as well as pharmacy owners, once the consultation formally launches in the next week.