General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has approved the increase of its entry and renewal fees from 1 July 2019.
The revised annual fees, which will increase by £7 from £250 to £257 for pharmacists and £3 from £118 to £121 for pharmacy technicians, were approved at a GPhC council meeting on 7 March 2019.
Between October 2018 and January 2019, the pharmacy regulator consulted with 5,000 registrants on the fee hikes, 70% of whom disagreed with increasing the fees for pharmacists. Meanwhile, 66% disagreed with increasing the pharmacy technician entry and renewal fee.
In response to the consultation, the GPhC said that its annual plan for 2019/2020 includes measures to improve efficiency and effectiveness, such as reviewing its head office is in Canary Wharf, after comments from respondents suggested the regulator “demonstrate further efficiency and effective improvements before fee increases are proposed”.
The decision also comes after a quarter of respondents to a GPhC survey on its services and communications, said the regulator fails to take into account feedback given by registrants during consultations.
Announcing the fee rise on 8 March 2019, Duncan Rudkin, chief executive of the GPhC, said: “Our council carefully considered the consultation responses including the concerns raised, and the overall economic context.
“Following that consideration, it was decided it was necessary to increase fees for the first time since 2015.
“Our role is to protect the public and give them assurance that they will receive safe and effective care when using pharmacy services, and we have to make sure we have the resources necessary to carry out our regulatory functions effectively on their behalf.”
