The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 278 No 7443 p311
17 March 2007

This article
Reprint   Photocopy

PDF 60K, Acrobat Reader

• White Paper (4)
• Funding for services
• Prescription charges
• Community pharmacy (2)
• Pharmacist prescribing
• Chlamydia testing
• Pfizer products
• Medicines recycling
• Skill mix
• Retention fees
• Retail pharmacy

Letters to the Editor

Retention fees

Society discriminates against minority

From Dr C. M. Minchom, MRPharmS

A non-practising pharmacist resident in Great Britain pays a retention fee to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of £64. Overseas non-practising pharmacists pay a fee of £112, purportedly to pay for the additional costs of mailing The Pharmaceutical Journal.

From April, overseas pharmacists living in the European Economic Area (EEA) will only have to pay the £64 fee. This is because “under EU law, it is unlawful to discriminate between residents in Britain and other EU residents in Part 2 of the Society’s Register” and “the Society would be vulnerable to legal challenge on this issue” (PJ, 24 February, p228). These statements make it clear that the difference in fees is discriminatory and that fear of legal challenge has prompted the Society to change its policy.

There are approximately 3,000 overseas, non-practising pharmacists on the Register. Assuming that half reside in the EEA, the remainder (3 per cent of the membership) continues to be discriminated against. Although this is not illegal it is ethically questionable.

Colin M. Minchom
Toronto, Canada

Send your letter to The Editor

Previous Topic (Skill mix)
Next Topic (Retail pharmacy)