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GPHC launches consultation on 2011 fees rules

24 May 2010

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has today begun consultation on its draft fees rules for 2011.

The draft rules describe the proposed fees that pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and owners of pharmacy premises will be required to pay, for 2011 and include the fees which it is proposed will be charged to renew registration on the GPhC’s register. The consultation process will continue for twelve weeks.

All existing registrants on the RPSGB’s practising registers, and all registered premises, will transfer automatically to the GPhC and no payment will be required on transfer. The fees now being consulted on will apply for new entrants to the register
post transfer and for those registrants who renew their registration for 2011.

The GPhC’s register will include three parts containing entries for pharmacists; pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises. The fees structure being proposed has been designed to enable the new regulator to undertake its core regulatory
functions as a truly independent authority. 

For pharmacists the consultation proposes an application fee of £100.00 for those applying to join the register for the first time, and of £262.00 for initial registration and for all renewals of entry. For pharmacy technicians the comparable charges being proposed are £100.00 and £142.00 while for pharmacy premises the processes attract a proposed fee of £217.00 for renewal, and for first time entry an application / registration fee of £557.00. Importantly, the fees which are set out for consultation, position the GPhC at the lower end of fees charged by other UK health professional regulators.

Commenting on the consultation process, Duncan Rudkin the GPhC’s Chief Executive and Registrar said, “Our intention is to be transparent. We are consulting as much on approach as on content. It is important that views are exchanged and that everyone
who wishes to do so can express opinions on our proposed way forward. We are however pleased that we are able to consult on a fee structure which should not only ensure our independence as a regulator by offering us financial stability bearing in
mind we are starting from scratch, but which also offers registrants greater consistency in structure, and does so through a level of payment which is fair and reasonable in relation to the fees of other professional regulators.” 

The consultation is being run on the GPhC website www.pharmacyregulation.org and will run until 16 August 2010.

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