The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has proposed a 7.5 per cent increase in all fees for pharmacies, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and foundation trainees, including those for registration and renewal from April 2024.
According to the GPhC’s proposal the pharmacist renewal fee would increase by £19 from £257 to £276; the pharmacy technician renewal fee would increase by £9 from £121 to £130 and the pharmacy premises renewal fee would increase by £27 from £365 to £392
Any changes would be effective from April 2024, which means fees will remain at current levels for this financial year, giving registrants and applicants time to prepare for any increase in subsequent years.
Fees have been frozen for the last two years (2022 and 2023) to help reduce pressure on both pharmacy professionals and pharmacy owners.
Chief Executive, Duncan Rudkin, said: “In the last few years, we have been able to avoid raising many of these fees by improving our efficiency and by using our financial reserves to cover any gap between our income and our outgoings. While we are continuing to look for ways to make savings, we now have to consider increasing fees.
“We appreciate the cost of living is affecting everyone, including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, foundation trainees as well as pharmacy business owners. Like many organisations we are experiencing an increase in operational costs driven by higher rates of inflation, increasing utility bills and supplier costs.
“We are proposing a below inflation increase, deferred to 2024 and hope that by proposing this change well in advance, we can help those who need to pay fees plan accordingly.”
The consultation on fees closes on 8 August 2023.
Sukhi Basra