The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is consulting on proposals to increase registration fees for pharmacy premises from £262 to £365.
Fees for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians will not be increased this year. The consultation launched today marks the first phase of a wider review of the GPhC’s longer-term fees strategy, which will also consider areas such as longer fixed-term fees and flexible fee options (for those on parental leave, for example).
The GPhC is consulting on this increase for pharmacy premises to close the existing gap of £103 between the fees paid by pharmacies and the actual costs of regulating each pharmacy, based on 2018/19 figures. In this consultation, the GPhC is seeking views on whether the fees paid by pharmacy owners should cover the full costs of regulating pharmacy premises.
GPhC Chief Executive Duncan Rudkin said:
“We recognise the financial pressures that pharmacy owners are under and any uplift in fees is only proposed when necessary.
“Since 2013, we have introduced significant changes in how we regulate and inspect pharmacies, improving the effectiveness of our regulatory approach and bringing benefits to patients, the public and pharmacies. We are proposing this change now because we need a robust and sustainable financial framework with fees that reflect the true cost of regulation.
"We welcome views on our proposals.”
The consultation on fees for pharmacy premises is open from 7 January to 31 March 2020.
Notes to Editors
- The GPhC is funded primarily through fees from pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and registered pharmacies, plus a small income derived from fees charged to education providers.
- The increase would take effect for pharmacy premises joining the register in October 2020 onwards. This increase will also come into effect for all renewals of registered pharmacy premises where the pharmacy’s deadline for renewal is in October 2020 onwards.