Privy Council approves Society's proposed retention fee increases
|
Payment of retention fees for
2002
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society
is currently mailing retention fee forms to all members and corporate
bodies.
Any pharmacist or pharmacy owner who has not received
a retention fee form by 2 January 2002 can still pay without it.
A list of fees payable for 2002 is available on the Society's website
(www.rpsgb.org. uk/society), which also explains payment methods.
Payment sent without a retention fee form should
be clearly marked with the pharmacist's name and membership number
or the company's name and the premises address (or, in the case
of sole proprietors, membership number and premises address). In
the case of members eligible to pay a reduced fee, payment sent
without a retention fee form should be accompanied by a signed letter
confirming which fee is being paid. Fee payment should be sent to
Registration Section, RPSGB, PO Box 646, London SE1 7LA, and not
to the Society's headquarters address.
Direct debit It is now too late
for members and pharmacy owners to set up direct debit as the method
of payment for their 2002 fees. Those who wish to pay by direct
debit from 2003 onwards should tick the relevant box on the 2002
retention fee form. A direct debit mandate will be sent later on
in 2002. For members, payment by direct debit is only available
for the full fee and the overseas membership fee.
Retention fee receipts Members are
asked to keep retention fee receipts in a safe place. Reprints are
not available.
|
The Privy Council has approved amendments to the Byelaws
of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society to increase the membership fees for
2002. The full members' retention fee rises cent from £142 to £186, with
associated increases in part-time and other fees.
The Council sought a £44 increase in the full-time
retention fee because, like other health professional regulatory bodies,
it needs to develop and extend its regulatory framework and systems to
meet modern requirements. Over recent years, the fee has increased only
by the rate of general inflation.
The Society says that the increase in fee income
will generate an extra £1.4m towards the cost of the new work, which has
been costed at nearly £1.5m. In addition, stringent economies have been
made on existing activities for 2002 to free resources to support the
new work and to align core roles with best practice.
The Society points out that other health professional
regulators, facing similar work programmes, have also sought increases
in fees. The General Medical Council, for example, has announced that
its annual retention fee will increase by more than 70 per cent, from
£170 to £290 from January 2002.
The Society's President, Marshall Davies, said that
the Privy Council decision represented an endorsement by Ministers across
the three home countries of the Society's plans to meet the principles
of modern professional self-regulation.
"We believe that pharmacists will consider it worthwhile
to be investing in the future of their profession through their retention
fee. We will continue to explore other ways of funding progress, including
from government, for future developments.
"The Society is embarking on a highly significant
project to create an effective modern regulator for pharmacists," he said.
"It is no exaggeration to say that the future of the profession will be
shaped by this work."
• The proposed 5 per cent increase
in the premises retention fee has been approved by ministers. The necessary
Statutory Instrument is being prepared.
Back to Top
|
