The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 277 No 7428 p650
25 November 2006

Society summary

The collection of retention fees for 2007

As the collection of pharmacists' retention fees for 2007 kicks off, Andrew Gardner, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's head of registration, reviews the fee collection exercise and explains the benefits of paying the fee online

The Society is building on the success of the online payment service used by more than 21,000 people last year. As people have become more confident about using the internet to access and pay for services, so we have seen an increase in the take up of online payment. As traditional forms of payment are being phased out on the high street (we know that cheques are no longer accepted by some major supermarkets and petrol stations), it does not take a huge leap of the imagination to foresee a time when cheques will not be used at all.

So, this year, we are expanding the online service offered through the Society’s website. Our ambition is to encourage as many people as possible to pay online because paying that way offers them some new benefits.

Perhaps the most important point to make is that people who pay online receive instant confirmation of payment. Every year we receive a few complaints from people whose names have been erased because they thought they had paid when they had not. Cheques do sometimes get lost in the post. Of course, these problems are avoided if you know your card payment has been successfully taken there and then. And remember that, although the Society is not able to accept staged payments (monthly direct debit for example), a credit card payment can be used to spread the payment over several months, which might be important to some people at this time of year.

A new feature of the online service is the ability to print, save and reprint receipts for any payment over the past year or so (available from the first working day after that payment has been processed). Although paper receipts for retention fees, previously posted to members, are being phased out, pharmacists can now access these online, print them, and save or reprint them using the myRPSGB section of the Society’s website. Even those who pay by direct debit or cheque can sign up to myRPSGB to obtain receipts.

The online payment service has been included in a password-protected area of the website, and pharmacists must set up their myRPSGB password using their registration number and retention fee form number before making payment. Of course, this only needs to be done once and will come to save time. Paying fees in the future or accessing any new online services will be simply a matter of logging into myRPSGB.

Following the Council’s recent decision to erase the names of pharmacists who fail to make the required annual declaration, we have added the ability to make the declaration online using myRPSGB. Everyone who pays online will make their declaration online. People who pay by direct debit or cheque may also make their declaration online. Direct debit payers are especially encouraged to use this new facility because they may not be accustomed to returning retention fee forms.

Pharmacy technicians are already using the myRPSGB format successfully, with over 65 per cent of them choosing to pay online.

Although planning for retention fee collection is a near year-round project, the hard work begins for the Society’s registration team as soon as the fees have been agreed by the Privy Council and the retention forms are posted. Of course, while the team of Richard Anderson, James Edmonds, Alison Bartlett, Warren Chambers and Stephen Craddock are answering queries and processing payments they continue to do all the normal business activity, such as registering people and premises.

We do plan for this high volume of work, and our processes are designed to ensure payments are processed within one working day and enquiries answered within normal timeframes, but I have to take my hat off to the registration team at this time of year, when they demonstrate their commitment to the Society’s members by continuing to deliver great service. In the period 1 December to 31 January 2007, they expect to handle more than 12,000 enquiries, as well as every retention fee payment.

Pharmacists in the UK should receive their retention fee forms by 2 December. The fees fall due on 1 January 2007 and can be paid now. Everyone who fails to make a payment or declaration by 12 January 2007 will be issued with a statutory demand. But please remember to pay before the deadline because the restoration fee if you are struck off for non-payment could be as much as £823.