Remarkable value for money
No doubt both the new fee structure for members of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the requested rates for 2005 (p210 and p233) will have pharmacists reaching for their pens or keyboards within the hour. The Journal is bracing itself for an onslaught of correspondence but, before the letter writers get going, allow us to throw a few thoughts into the pot.
Membership of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is remarkable value for
money. The current annual retention fee that doctors have to pay to the
General Medical Council —
£290 — mainly licenses them to practise. Other benefits and
services have to be gained through membership of a royal college and
the British Medical Association (at an additional cost of up to £360
from next year). Many similar benefits and services are on offer to pharmacists
through the Society for £256 next year (although members cannot
expect quite the range available through a combination of the GMC, the
royal colleges and the BMA).
Dentists, too, have to pay a great deal more than pharmacists to two
bodies, and some of them are likely to be wondering which services the
British Dental Association may have to axe as it recovers from its current
financial crisis (p209).
Nurses may have to pay less than pharmacists for regulation but one
of the reasons that their registration fee, payable to the Nursing and
Midwifery
Council, is so low is because there are so many of them. The nursing
profession is huge, and their fee level is a true reflection of the economies
of scale: registering and regulating over 600,000 people is cheaper per
head than 45,000. Pharmacy has always been a small profession and members
will always have to pay something of a premium (compared with nurses)
for the privilege of practising.
In recent years, the Society has depended on the financial success of
publications to expand its activities: both the Pharmaceutical Press
and The Journal have made significant contributions to the Society’s
coffers. And although there is no sign that this will not continue, it
is wise business practice to ensure that regulatory and professional
activities can continue to develop — irrespective of the financial
climate for publishing.
So what does £256 mean to a member of the pharmacy profession?
At the very least it offers the opportunity to practise as a pharmacist
(plus support to ensure practice is of a high standard) and the benefit
of a weekly copy of The Journal (although we concede that some pharmacists
may believe that is a doubtful benefit). For roughly two days’ locum
work it is cheap at the price.
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