New Pharmacy Council Annual Practising Certificate fee and Disciplinary Levy from 1 April 2023

The Pharmacy Council will increase the Annual Practising Certificate (APC) and Disciplinary Levy for the recertification year beginning 1 April 2023 by 4.1% being the minimum required to successfully deliver the outcomes of the thirteen regulatory functions required of it under s118 of the HPCAA.

Chief Executive Michael Pead says that for most practitioners, this decision will represent an increase of $33.37 (including GST) from the previous year and that the new APC fee of $850 reflects the recovery of costs for the Pharmacy Council to undertake its regulatory functions and maintain its financial sustainability in the year ahead.

“All businesses are experiencing inflationary pressures and Council is no different. The requirement for Council to remain financially sustainable under the full cost recovery model imposed by its governing legislation is crucial.

The Pharmacy Council would like it clearly understood by the profession that it had made a conscious decision when proposing a fee increase not to impose the full weight of the currently greater than 7% in inflationary pressure but tried to find a mid-point by assuming some of the inflationary risk of the year ahead on behalf of the profession.

Every decision made by Council (including the financial ones) has the achievement of Council’s two key strategic objectives in clear focus. That is to mitigate risk of harm and maximise the competence of the profession. The decision to increase the APC fee wasn’t made lightly – it was very carefully assessed against the ongoing business requirements of the Council.”

“We work with a profession exposed to the risk of making a serious mistake that could adversely affect the health and lives of everyday people. Everything Council does in its role as regulator of the profession aims to minimise the risk of this scenario occurring.”

In addition to inflationary pressures, new staffing resources will be required in the year ahead to deliver both Council’s ‘business as usual’ statutory obligations as well as its strategic review and development priorities.”

Council’s annual budget is fully funded by the APC fee collection at the beginning of every recertification year (with some input from its very limited reserves) and this funding must last a full twelve months until the APC fee collection point in the following year.

Chief Executive Michael Pead says that Council doesn’t receive any other funding to support delivery of its regulatory functions and is unable to access commercial lending to support its cashflow requirements throughout the year.

“There is no opportunity for a “second bite” at the fee during the year, if Council gets it wrong the consequences would be even more unpalatable to the profession.”

Council is in the process of addressing all the feedback received on the APC fee increase proposal and advises that further information will be published on Council’s website no later than Friday 3 February 2023.